#also noctis stole the scene

[secret-engima]

Please consider, FnF Gladio meeting Reborn post lung-incident. Please, consider.

Ohhhh. Oh boy. OH BOY. Ummm I’m assuming you don’t mean Reborn as a reincarnation because he’s not gonna show up in Fangs and Feathers but hypothetically Imma bout to do a ficlet so buckle up-

Hypothetically Gladio is an adult, a Shield and a brother to Noctis, loyal and protective and FIERCE. Who trained himself to the ground, then pestered Cor for more because he was NEVER failing Noctis again, not in anyway. A Gladio who, when he was eighteen and finally had a motorcycle of his own, ran away to fight Gilgamesh and by the time Xanxus and Cor had busted their way through, found him bloody and tired and TRIUMPHANT, scarred and defiant and VICTORIOUS as Gilgamesh laughed, hollow and inhuman in his shell and presented Gladio with the sword Cor had lost when he tried the same at fifteen.

Hypothetically this Gladio is now 25 and strong and SKILLED, skilled enough to win against the famed, immortal Blademaster at 18, skilled enough to protect his king (he hopes, he prays, he trains because he is never going to fail this duty again, not in any way).

Hypothetically this Gladio has known for years that Noctis is a reincarnation, and that his original name was Tsunayoshi Sawada.

Hypothetically this Gladio, one day, sees his king stumble over air and catches him instinctively, and in the touch is pulled along as he falls through into another world. A parallel version of his past life. And while Noctis looks at the small town around them and pales, pulls his magic in until it’s totally hidden as if AFRAID, Gladio becomes angry. At the strange trip into another world, at Noctis’s reaction. At his FEAR.

They wander town, looking for a way back, and then Gladio hears a louder, more frightened version of the soft “hieeee” Noctis used to say as a child when startled, followed by a smooth, male voice that says, “A mafia boss doesn’t give up, Dame-Tsuna. Get up and do it again.”

Gladio sees Noctis flinch deep and visceral because even if Noctis had loved his tutor for freeing him, for teaching him (for eventually being ... not a father, but the only thing like it Tsuna had, after Reborn realized why Tsuna was so “hopeless” and actually apologized for all the terror he’d put Tsuna through, even if he never completely changed his methods), that is not the voice of his Reborn. For one, that was a man’s voice, not a cursed baby’s, which means things are already wildly different in this world. For another ... that was not the voice of the Reborn who had stood at his side until the end of his life, the one who had retired only when his head of hair was pure silver and his hands slightly shaky from arthritis. The voice that said “Dame-Tsuna” the same way others said “Son”.

This was the voice of Reborn before he cared. Hard and businesslike, borderline cruel as he forced his student to get up and try it again, to do it right this time or else risk being shot, who had forgotten what kindness was and indulged in pranks against the people who should have been in his care without a thought. This was a Reborn who had never been humbled, never seen his “helpless student” stand up to the one thing Reborn was terrified most of and say “No. You Can’t Have Him.”

Noctis does not want to see this Reborn. Doesn’t want to be anywhere near him.

Gladio sees the flinch, the expression of conflicted misery and fear and love and ... puts it together. Puts together the stories Noctis told him as they grew up and grew closer. Of his teacher who he loved, but who he had feared for years because of his too hard methods. Of being fourteen and shot again and again until he lost his ability to flinch at the sound of gunfire. Of being fourteen and forced to crawl to his feet and keep going even when his mouth tasted like copper and it hurt to breathe because Reborn wasn’t satisfied so Do It Again.

Gladio’s sword is out and he’s going for Reborn’s head before he can realize he’s moving.

Reborn, this one younger, this one not a cursed baby, this one who’s title of Arcobaleno is just a fancy label that marks him as one of the Mafia’s Best rather than someone who must carry a cursed artifact, barely ducks in time to avoid being beheaded. His retaliatory gunfire is swatted aside with obvious and open contempt, the sword slashing through sun-enhanced bullets like they were butter and not things powerful enough to rip through tanks. His student screams in fear and Reborn assumes the swordsman is an assassin come for the Vongola Heir, so he tries to lead the man farther away (not too far, in case the man had backup waiting for Reborn to be busy) from his useless student. The man follows easily, something hard and venomous in his gaze and Reborn inwardly scoffs because ah, the employer picked someone with a grudge against Reborn. How quaint.

It stops being quaint when the man launches on the offensive again and Reborn finds himself overwhelmed. Any attack is dodged or swatted aside like a fly, any feint is seen through and matched, the blade moves effortlessly in the man’s hands (Cloud? The sword looks heavy but he handles it like a paperweight), slicing through trees like frost, the shockwaves nearly sending Reborn flying the first time before he compensated. He catches a glint of Red flowing up the blade right before another unnaturally sharp and fast strike and realizes he’s up against a very strong Storm that is COMPLETELY ignoring Tsuna in favor of trying to take off Reborn’s HEAD.

Lovely. Just what he needed. Normally he would delight in this kind of thing, a nice break from trying to get train a useless civilian boy into a half-decent Mafia Boss.

But normally Reborn wouldn’t be giving ground and increasingly alarmed and afraid for his own life. The man just won’t STOP and none of Reborn’s tricks or tactics are working. Not diversions, not a flashbang shot to blind, nothing. He just keeps coming with a snarl on his face and speed that a Storm really shouldn’t have (the man fights like a Cloud, all unfair tanking and speed and power, but he is clearly a Storm in temper, in the red on his blade when his strikes split and devour the earth milliseconds after Reborn dodges.

Normally, Reborn would not be so hard pressed as to MISS the hunched figure that steals over to his student and starts gently talking to him before pressing a hand against the boy’s stomach.

The sudden EXPLOSION of Sky Flames, rippling out over the training ground, the park, the town, heck, probably the entire REGION definitely reclaims Reborn’s attention. His head snaps around to see, has a moment to be stunned by the sight of his student, his Weak Sky, Lazy Sky, Civilian Boy, wreathed in pure, pure amber Flames that make Luce’s look like guttering embers-

“Gladio, stop.” Says the stranger next to his student, eyes flashing from blue to bright red and Reborn feels steel stop just touching his neck, feels the wind of the halted blow send his hat flying, and pales. He’s slipped up for just a moment-

And if that stranger hadn’t spoken, that moment would have cost Reborn his life.

“He’s Reborn,” snarls the Storm, thick and furious and hateful.

“I know,” says the other man, “That’s why I want you to stop.”

The Storm growls feral and angry, pulls his sword away from Reborn’s neck, still ready to defend if Reborn tries to fight again, “He doesn’t deserve it. Any of it,” he spits and Reborn has the distinct impression he is missing something, because this ... doesn’t feel like disgruntled hitmen that want his fame and title.

The stranger near Reborn’s still wreathed-in-flame-student sounds ... sad. Nostalgic, is watching him with eyes that seem to see right through him and into his quietest, deepest parts, “I know,” the man repeats as he calmly helps Reborn’s student stand, “but I can’t help it.” A pause, a flicker of buried, ancient fury and hurt and suddenly the man is right next to the Storm in a flicker of sparks (Mist then? He doesn’t feel like a Mist). Reborn steps cautiously back, opens his mouth to demand answers (who were they, who did they work for, what had they just done to his student to make him for from a guttering Flame to a Sky Flame Reborn is almost getting FLAME DRUNK on right this minute).

He doesn’t see the man move. Just feels a touch on his stomach with gentle fingers.

The world goes grey. Grey and cold and deaf and dumb and blind and the world is spinning and he can’t get his feet under him, can’t keep them under him because he has no ANCHOR to the world, like its all just mist around his ankles. He drops his gun, falls over trying to get it back, curses as he stumbles to his knees because nothing is WORKING and he can’t THINK and what did they do? WHAT DID THEY DO? His Sun Flames are gone-gone-gone and he’s shaking and there is fog in his head and-

“Get up, Dame-Tsuna,” says the stranger softly, “a Mafia Boss doesn’t trip over his own two feet. Get up and do it again.” And it sounds like a quote. It is a quote. It’s him.

Reborn hisses a curse but STILL can't get his gun to stay in his hand long enough for a shot (he’s so cold so cold so cold)

“Stop it! Stop it!” Amber, burning and searing hot, curling around him as his student- as TSUNA leaps in the way, grabs the Mist’s (?) arm and pleads, “Don’t do it to him! He doesn’t deserve it, no one does! No one deserves that! Please!”

The man gently ruffles Tsuna’s hair, “You’re right. No one deserves it. It’s only temporary. It will wear off in just a few more seconds. I just ... wanted him to understand what it was like-”

Something inside Reborn shatters and his Sun Flames rush back, the world rushes back, sound and color, touch and taste and stability, the world stops sliding away from him and the fog clears just in time for him to hear-, “to be a completely Sealed Flame.”

Reborn lunges to his feet again, gun in a shaking but firm hand, mind whirling- “There was a seal on my student,” he hisses. Then he blanches, because this man just- that feeling had been- all this time his student-.

The stranger with the blue eyes shrugs, “Yes,” he says simply. “I removed it. Gladio, come on. I think our ride is here.”

The Storm scoffs but starts following the man away. Reborn takes a step after them, freezes when the sword comes to bear at his neck again, “Who are you?” he hisses, humiliated and humbled and wary for the first time in over a decade, “How did you know all this? What Famiglia are you sworn to?”

The Storm snorts and pulls his blade away, the other man pauses, sighs.

Unfurls his Flame like the rising of the dawn. It stretches and curls, strange and oddly crystalline, forming little shards of amber and blue diamonds in the air, but it’s powerful, it blankets the area, tangling and clicking effortlessly with Tsunayoshi’s almost like-

Almost like they were-

No.

No that was impossible.

Blue eyes are now amber gold as he smiles sadly, “Just a Sky who saw your student and knew what was really wrong.”

“I want your name,” Reborn rasps past the heady feeling of being surrounded by two Sky Flames (identical Sky Flames) that made Luce the Arcobaleno Sky look like a mere spark of fire.

A blink, a near mischievous (tired, bitter, nostalgic, conflicted) look, “We both know you already know my name, Reborn.” He turns away again, one hand tangling with the fingers of his Storm to keep the bear of a man from attacking Reborn again and somehow Reborn knows that there is nothing he can do to stop them from walking away.

Just as they reach the borders of the park and start to round the bend, the Sky lifts a hand in a lazy wave and a flippant, “Chaos, Reborn!” Then they’re around the bend and the crystalline Sky Flame is gone. Vanished from the air like it had never been.

Reborn stares, processing and staggering under the weight of ... everything that just happened. Looks down at his shivering student who leaped to his defense (poor defense, begging defense but still DEFENSE) even though Reborn has done nothing to win any sort of favor.

Even though he’s been pushing a Sky child past the breaking point without even noticing that the boy was sealed and not just weak from inexperience.

He needs a drink.

But first ... “I think that’s enough for today d-. Tsuna. Let’s take you home.”

Ask me in the next life, whispers in his ear over his whiskey late that night.

We both know you already know my name.

He’s Reborn

I know, that’s why I want you to stop.

He doesn’t deserve it. Any of it.

I know, but I can’t help it.

Ask me in the next life.

We both know you already know my name.

Reborn mutters a curse as he slugs back his drink. Buries the knowledge that just tried to behead him with a sword for another day. Or never. Preferably never. He has a training regime to drastically rewrite. And .... possibly. MAYBE. An apology to make to his student in the morning.

...

“You didn’t have to try to kill him, you know.” Noctis murmurs as they lounge in the sunshine of the Citadel garden. Safely returned to their home dimension with a little help from Umbra and Gentiana.

Gladio tightens his arms around his king, letting the smaller man sit in his lap like the cuddly cat his king-brother secretly is, “He deserves it. He hurt you. He hurt you so badly you’re still messed up in an entirely different lifetime.” He made you afraid of me. Even more than I had made you afraid of me. Gladio doesn’t say.

Noctis just sighs like he already knows, then murmurs, “At least I got the Seal off. I always wanted someone to come take the Seal off. Even before I knew what it was.”

Gladio growls and lets the matter slide.

But if they ever wind up back in that dimension, Gladio is going to track down Reborn and kick his tail again. Not kill him, that would upset his king-brother, but smack him around?

Yeah. That sounded good.

#SE asks #anon asks #Secret Engima Rambles #Fangs and Feathers verse #gladiolus amicitia #this ran away like crazy #now my hands hurt #oh well #also noctis stole the scene #but it was that or let gladio kill reborn out of RAGE #and we can't have that

[flightofthejackdaw]

Okay time for a Kingdom Hearts theory that’s been rattling around my head for awhile, Yozora who is he? Well I believe he is a Nobody, now this all hinges on one small detail. His earrings:

That is most definitely the Nobody sigel, also remember what Yozora said to Sora;

I think this statement is true, we also need to take into account what the mysterious star said about Yozora, how his ‘Heart has been stolen from him”. I would like to propose something ludicrous but likely knowing Nomura.... Yozora is the Nobody of Noctis. Now you’re probably thinking “that’s ridiculous!”, and it is but it isn’t in the context of Kingdom Hearts and Nomura. Also the reason Yozora looks different from Noctis is because as it was said once; Nobodies don’t look exactly like their Somebody’s.

Nomura could concider the Noctis from FF XV as not being the real Noctis, Nomura said that Yozora is not Noctis. So he could be Noctis’ Nobody. As we all know Nomura is definitely still salty about having his work on Verses taken away from him, it makes sense that he would regard Noctis from XV as “the Nobody” of the original. As they changed him completely from Nomura’s original concept, they “stole his heart from him” so to say...

Okay so now we’re on the same page here on what Yozora is and who he was. You’re probably wondering what happened to his body because you can’t have a Nobody with out a body to begin with.

For awhile now we’ve had the information that some Keyblade weilders can steal and posses bodies, first with Xehanort then with Luxu. And with the appearance of a mysterious hooded figure at the end of KH3 that Nomura has confirmed to be none other than MoM himself! I am proposing that MoM stole and possed Yozora’s original body leading to Yozora becoming a Nobody!

This could also explain why Yozora has two different coloured eyes, MoM only has one since the other is in his Keyblade. But that may be a stretch!

This could also explain why MoM seems to be in the same world as Yozora as in the ending scene of KH3 you see MoM on top of a building right across from the one Yozora is brooding on: (And yes I drew a red circle around it, you can judge me...)

This also goes into something about this scene that bothered me a lot, in this scene we see part of MoM’s face something that’s been hidden from us for literal years now:

Now I know it’s a small detail and isn’t even that much of his face but it really bothers me that we see anything at all, that tiny bit of his face could’ve not been shown at all. But it was! Maybe it isn’t his face, perhaps is Yozora’s Somebody’s face, “Noctis” face and MoM has stolen Yozora’s body. Possibly because just like Luxu he had to cast his old body away in order to survive or perhaps he’s attempting to keep his true identity hidden from us all....

#kingdom hearts #master of masters #theory #yozora #kingdom hearts 3 #kh3 #kh3 remind #kindom hearts theory

[kaelinaloveslomaris]

Whumptober 4: Human Shield

FFXV again! How could I not write Gladio and Noctis for this one?

—

Gladio had been trained all his life to be Noctis’s Shield. He had known ever since he was barely old enough to understand the concept that he was destined to protect the prince at all costs, even with his life if necessary. He had surrendered to this duty with reluctance but determination as a teenager, when he still viewed Noctis as a spoiled brat undeserving of his loyalty or protection. He had thrown himself into the training for the love of the fight, the thrill of physical exertion and his dad’s praise, and his sense of honor even as he despised the child under his guard.

After Noctis had protected and taken the fall for Gladio’s sister at the cost of the king’s ire, he had earned Gladio’s grudging respect. And once Gladio had given him a chance and looked past the entitled, aloof exterior, he had seen a boy desperate to feel good enough, to appear worthy — and completely terrified of failing. He held himself apart so there were less people he cared about who he could let down.

Oh, there was no mistaking that he was still absolutely a brat, still acted selfishly, or thoughtlessly, more often than not, but when it was something that really mattered, the prince would step up. He had earned Gladio’s loyalty and become someone that Gladio would willingly die for and not regret it, not as part of his duty to the throne and the Lucian bloodline, but as a friend, as a brother. Noctis was someone he could admit, to himself if not to others, that he loved.

His training had prepared him to give his life, to serve as he was needed, to take the hits in Noctis’s place. The scar across his face was testament to his dedication to his destiny. He was prepared to be Noctis’s Shield. What he was not prepared for was for Noctis to be used as a shield against him.

As far as he could tell, it was a simple case of “wrong place, wrong time,” though how anyone could be stupid enough to rob a convenience store while the prince and his Shield were on site was beyond him. But nothing about the hostage situation seemed planned, so Gladio could rule out assassination attempt. It didn’t make the gun lodged under Noctis’s chin any less lethal.

“If anyone so much as twitches, I’m gonna blow his jaw off.” The man behind Noctis was much smaller than Gladio, short enough that Noct made a decent shield, but still strong enough that Noctis couldn’t easily break free of the arm wrapped tightly around his waist and pinning his arms to his sides. Smart, really, as that kept Noctis from being able to do much of anything even if he managed to manifest a weapon without provoking the man, though the sight made Gladio’s blood boil. If his fingers left bruises on Noctis’s arm, Gladio was going to hunt him down and kill him.

“Let him go,” Gladio growled. His hands itched for his sword, and he felt the stirring of borrowed magic as Noctis’s Armiger prepared to fulfill that desire, but he forced it down. Drawing a sword on the man would certainly count as “twitching,” and he wasn’t about to risk his prince’s life that way. He wished he had the words to convince the man to release Noctis, but diplomacy and negotiation were not things Gladio was trained for. That was all Ignis, but he had elected to stay behind at Noct’s apartment to finish up some paperwork. Of course, it was part of Noctis’s education as well, but tact was not a word often found in his vocabulary even in the best of times, and the stress of this situation would do his minimal diplomatic skills no favors.

Gladio thanked the Six that Prompto had forgotten his wallet in the car and had gone back for it just before everything went down. Neither Gladio nor Noctis needed the extra distraction right now, and he wasn’t sure that the kid wouldn’t do something stupid to try and save his friend.

“Not until I’m far enough away from here that I won’t be caught.” He tugged Noctis closer against himself, and Gladio snarled in response to the fear in Noctis’s eyes.

“Please, I can give you twice as much as you just stole from this store if you let me go,” Noctis pleaded, speaking through clenched teeth to avoid pressing his jaw any harder against the barrel of the gun.

The man laughed sharply. “I’m not falling for that.” He took a step backwards, jerking Noctis back with him. Noctis stumbled, and Gladio instinctively stepped towards him. He froze as the man’s finger tightened on the trigger.

“Call off your guard dog or I’ll shoot you right now.”

Noctis closed his eyes, breaking eye contact with Gladio for the first time since the man had grabbed him. “Stand down, Gladdy,” he whispered.

Gladio had to clamp his teeth together to prevent himself from protesting. He was sworn to protect Noctis, but he was also sworn to obey him. Of course no one would call treason if he disobeyed in order to save the prince’s life, but in this situation, backing down would probably be the safest course of action for his charge.

He nodded his assent and watched in helpless fury as the man dragged Noctis out the door with him. He tried to hold Noctis’s eyes, to communicate the need to stay calm even though Gladio couldn’t, to assure him that no matter what, he would come for him. And he would, as soon as they were out of sight. He would track them down and take the man out before he could hurt Noctis. For now, he held himself perfectly still, not wanting to give the man any reason to pull the trigger. There were phoenix downs in the Armiger, but they wouldn’t do much good for a bullet to the head, and if Noctis was dead, Gladio wouldn’t be able to access the Armiger anyways. He should get into the habit of carrying at least one physically on his person, as annoying as it would be. Ignis probably already did.

They were barely one step out the door when Noctis tensed. Gladio flexed his hands in preparation to pull his sword out of the Armiger if necessary. He knew he couldn’t move fast enough, but Astrals take him if he would allow someone to survive killing Noctis for more than a few moments.

The gunshot and the spray of blood across Noct’s face was enough to stop Gladio’s heart for the second it took him to realize that the blood wasn’t Noctis’s.

He was moving before the man even started to fall, out the door before the gasp left Noctis’s lips. He rushed forward and caught Noctis as he stumbled under the dead weight of the man’s body still clinging to him. Gladio shoved it away as he pulled Noctis into his arms, pretending he missed the prince’s flinch at the sound of the body hitting the pavement.

Gladio met Prompto’s eyes from where he stood on the other side of the car, gun still held tightly in his hands. Gladio gave him a short nod of approval before turning his attention back to Noctis.

He was shaking, leaning heavily into Gladio, and as much as he wanted to let him sit down and rest, he knew he needed to get him somewhere safe first. Gladio clutched him tighter, running a hand through his hair, heedless of the blood he was smearing through it.

“Hey, you’re okay. I’ve got you. Are you hurt?”

Noctis shook his head against Gladio’s shoulder, and he forced himself to relax as much as he could, though he knew he wouldn’t be completely calm until he had removed Noctis from the scene and he and Ignis had checked him over. He would have to contact his dad and Cor, have them look into the man to make sure this whole thing hadn’t been a well-masked assassination attempt. King Regis would probably increase security around Noctis for a while and restrict his movements outside of the Citadel, which would aggravate Noctis and make life difficult for himself and Ignis as they dealt with a grumpy prince, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment.

Deeming Noctis steady enough to walk, Gladio gently guided him towards the car. Prompto rushed to open the front passenger door for him. He hated to let go of him, Gladio liked having Noctis safely tucked under his arm where he could protect him, but Prompto still hadn’t passed his driver’s test.

As soon as he had him settled in the car, he turned to Prompto, catching his arm before he could get into the backseat. Prompto tensed.

“I didn’t know you had completed your Crownsguard training,” Gladio said.

“I haven’t.” Prompto’s face was hard, more serious than Gladio thought he had ever seen it, and entirely unapologetic. Technically what he had done was illegal, discharging a firearm within the Crown City without qualifications was a punishable offence, but Gladio was about ready to recommend him for a royal commendation and he doubted anyone would disagree with him under the circumstances. Gladio released his arm.

“Good man. I’ll put in a word with Cor for you.”

The relief was plain on Prompto’s face. “Thanks, Gladio.”

Gladio nodded in response. It was as close to gratitude he was going to get. It stung, admitting to himself that Prompto had done some of Gladio’s job today. Things might have turned out quite differently had Prompto not been with them. It was not something he was prepared to say out loud, and openly thanking Prompto would require just that.

“You, uh, gonna put that away?” Gladio changed the subject, nodding at the gun Prompto was still clutching. The kid looked down at it in surprise.

“Oh! Yeah, sorry.” He flushed as he dismissed it back to the Armiger with the sound of shattering crystal. “I forgot I was still holding it.”

Noctis must have felt Prompto remove the gun from the Armiger the moment he had been dragged outside. That was most likely the cause of the tension Gladio had reacted to. Noctis’s sensitivity to people drawing on his magic was improving. Gladio made a mental note to test it during their next training session.

“Alright, we should get out of here before the press shows up. I don’t want pictures of Noct shaking and bloody all over the internet. Call Ignis on the way and have him contact the Crownsguard to get a squad down here for damage control.”

The drive back to the apartment was quiet. Gladio kept an eye on Noctis the whole way back, only half listening to Prompto explaining the basics of the situation to Ignis; Gladio would have to fill him in on the details later. Noctis still looked shaken, slumped down in the seat, but his eyes were clear and focused, even if he was just staring intently at the dashboard. True to his word, he didn’t appear to be injured aside from the darkening marks on his arm, and the sight of those made Gladio almost envy Prompto his kill.

He knew it hadn’t hit Prompto yet, that he had killed a man. It was part of Gladio and Ignis’s jobs. They had both killed in defense of Noctis before and they would again, but this was a first for Prompto, and it shouldn’t have happened until after he was an official member of the Crownsguard. Gladio remembered the first time he had killed and the numbness that had followed. The shock and horror hadn’t come until hours later. His dad had been waiting for it, watching him carefully the entire evening, ready to talk him through it once it hit. It was not something he would have wanted to deal with alone.

Gladio thought it might be a good idea to have them all stay the night in Noctis’s apartment.

#whumptober2019 #no.4 #final fantasy xv #ffxv #gladio amicitia #noctis lucis caelum #prompto argentum #my fanfiction #my writing

[square-enix-headcanons]

Most to Least likely FFXV character to steal food off your plate

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Assuming you’ve got different dishes in e.g. a restaurant)

Gladio. He won’t do it if you’re complete strangers, but after that, everything goes; he fully expects you to steal a fork full of his stuff, too, though. He’ll probably do it just ‘cause, no matter what kind of food you’re eating as long as he doesn’t find it too gross

Aranea. She will only do it if she likes the food on your plate, but then she will without hesitation if you don’t defend it.

Noctis. He will at least put his veggies on your plate in return? Which means you actually end up with more food. Still, it’s probably not the trade you planned for.

Prompto. He will only do it if you’re friends, and will probably ask first unless you’re really close (or you stole some of his food first)

Lunafreya. She’s not gonna steal it unless she’s feeling particularly mischievous, but might ask to try some.

Ignis. The boy has manners, though he might take some if you offer, and would be willing to let you try his food; he will probably ask to try yours if it’s a dish he hasn’t tried out yet.

Ravus. He doesn’t mind letting you try some of his, but he’d expect you to ask first; probably wouldn’t get the idea of stealing someone else’s food, usually. Possible exception being if he’s purposefully trying to piss someone off.

Impossible to rank: Ardyn. He’s kind of a wild card because he can be all nice and proper when he wants to, but he can also be a huge jerk, and everything in between. If he’s trying to woo you, or pretending to be a Gentleman, he won’t steal your food at all, though he might offer a little bit of his; if he’s being playful (e.g. Past!Ardyn) he’s probably between Noct and Prom; if he’s in Jerk Mode, like when people are forced to spend time with him while unable to really do much against him, and he knows it and wants them to know it too (Think his first scene in Kingsglaive), he will probably eat half your food and not even apologize.

#Final Fantasy XV #Final Fantasy XV Headcanon #To quote my mom:''Stolen tastes better'' #For the record we're talking about taking like 5 fries or smth not stealing all the food #I can try to add more characters if y'all want others in this ranking too I guess xD #sfw #Noctis #Noctis Lucis Caelum #Prompto Argentum #Gladiolus Amicitia #Gladio #Prompto #Ignis Scientia #Ignis #Aranea Highwind #Aranea #Ravus Nox Fleuret #Ravus #Lunafreya Nox Fleuret #Lunafreya #Ardyn #Well that was a hand full to tag lol

[destinysthralls]

[prompto voice] i want to rp with my friends all day!

follow forever ! (sorry to everyone i missed by accident)

chocobos : people i haven’t interacted with much/at all, but really really want to!

@mythicheart | @starszakrew | @wayweaver | @beastend | @demonslayvr | @teldurus | @meteofists | @mercuryshot | @moombaliberator | @nortwithnomemories | @littlestchef | @kcystotheheart | @watchfulforeteller | @nortfromthepast | @valoroushylian | @heartsurpluss | @rogueoracle | @lunsai | @divine-identite | @lisaudacieux | @asterites | @starstrucx | @shrpshct | @enigmatias | @untarnish | @soundofmuses | @withinycu | @slainchosen | @knightheartcd | @atonings | @thundaraborn | @ursaced | @novuscaelum | @voiceofmany | @malfestcd | @gaiavowed | @multiplayered | @brandedsavior | @lightsdefender | @cordoliume | @dawnturnstodusk | @pxperhearts | @stormwithskiiin | @praestigii | @ninthplace | @badassbarmaid | @betterhealing | @lunarbranded | @praywishing | @dvngrs and many more who i forgot bc i can’t remember urls !

moogles: people who i’ve interacted with and LOVED interacting with!

@sinnhelmingr: LIGHT OF MY LIFE. supporter of all my muses, all five hundred of them lmfao. u are the most talented writer i have ever met, and i constantly feel my heart leap up into my chest when i see you’ve written me a starter or a reply. i love ur brain!

@marurisen: you were my FIRST NEW FRIEND on this blog, and the first person who really GAVE ME A CHANCE. i was so surprised when you followed me back bc u seemed so amazing and cool and i was like WOWWWWWW so impressed with u, and u followed me back and i was like so pleased with myself lol. ur kind and smart and funny and i LOVE all our characters relationships, especially jester/gladio, the  crossover ship that stole my heart!

@divinarcsa: my WIFE!!!! i love u so much. you inspire me to be better, to work harder, to make my prose more prosey and my outlook more rosey! you’re such a wonderful person, inside and out, with so much to offer the world in terms of art and personality. you are truly beautiful my love! <3

@incoronare: every day i think about how lucky i am that you took interest in this lil ol blog of mine! i mean it when i say u make my childhood dreams come true, of peach being cute and bi and ready to cry but also ready to KICK ASS. she’s so fuckin perfect and SO ARE YOU. ur writing blows me away, and ur such a sweetheart!

@thefatalmarksman: U SHOULD KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU BY NOW BUT I THINK UR THE TOTAL PACKAGE, i get COMEDY i get THE MOST DIVINE feelings, i get to hc jam with u, we can be SILLY and SERIOUS and cute and fun and everything i want in a roleplay partner and then some!!! ur amazing!!!! 

@x-purpose: i’m SO EXCITED YOU’RE BACK bc u have the most insane theories and ideas, and i’ve never seen someone so devoted to their muse without projecting literally anything on them? you just love your muses and their potential wholeheartedly to the end and thats it and i love that.... you’re SO creative and smart and intuitive and i love the way our muses and plots click into place! can’t wait to rp with you more!

@mettleforged: we haven’t talked much but i think u and all ur blogs and muses are so fuckin excellent and you have THE BEST OF THE BEST OF FFX OPINIONS. i can’t wait to interact more!

@khresme:  you are such an INTENSE & BRILLIANT person with so many ideas for how to make final fantasy ten dramatic and excellent, giving it the meaning and symbolism that somehow got lost on the cutting room floor. i love how deep you make luna and noctis, and i’m fascinated with all your hcs for both of them! thank you for making me think of luna in a brand new way!

@chosenbythecrystal: you are an EXCELLENT WRITER, definitely one of the best in the fandom BY FAR and you are one of my FAVORITE people to write with. i love your ideas for noctis and how easy you are to plot with in aus. you’re a very giving partner and i feel like i can build whole universes with you and i love that!

@tridentfaith: you are truly just such a nice person and so easy to talk to! i can’t wait to interact with your other blog! 

@gunsandpuppies & @bladesandkittens: while you are both excellent writers and seem so nice and funny, i have to say, my favorite part of following you both is definitely seeing your ABSOLUTELY #BESTFRIENDGOALS everyday. like i log in and i see you guys interacting and it just puts the biggest smile on my face! i’m glad wholesome platonic soul mates like you two can exist in this world!

@holdonescards: corey, i really feel u are like the big brother i never had tbh! tho idek if you’re older than me. i appreciate your maturity and frankness so, so much, but also now that i understand you better, i want to PROTECT YOU FROM THE WORLD. i hope that we get SO MANY MORE platonic/found family ships in the future, and i appreciate and am grateful for your unique outlook on life, your BEAUTIFUL art, and fantastic friendship <3 thank u so much for being a part of my life!

@moonlitsummoner: I STAN!!! YOU!!!! #stanyoona. you give SUCH LIFE to yuna, you make her feel so real and vibrant, like i’m talking right to her through the screen, and it’s just such an AMAZING feeling to see all these scenes i wish were in the game through your eyes. PLEASE NEVER STOP INTERACTING WITH MY FFX MUSES LMAO. they love ur yunie so much! (and your writing? shall we say... magnifique....)

@dawnryse : okay so i’ll admit we definitely got off on the wrong foot in the ffxv server (through no fault of our own really, just big misunderstandings as far as the eye can look), but you’ve given me a real appreciation for platonic relationships. i know we haven’t meshed together perfectly on any one plot, but i really appreciate you reaching out to me so much with the GIFT of your friendship, and i really appreciate every conversation we have bc ur so funny and nice and u have such great ideas!

@dawnled : you realize i will stan you until the day i die? i am TRULY YOUR BIGGEST FAN. LOVE THAT STELLA. your writing is soooo gorgeous and i love the depth you give riku and ALL his relationships even when canon won’t. your ideas for aus are so brilliant, and just seeing you interact with other people on the dash makes me smile so much. you are so, so loved by ALL of us. and you better be---because you’re the shining light in this fandom that gives us all so much inspiration and happiness.

@nymphatragicae : you KNOW i love your aqua! i’m so happy you’re back and i’m LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT GOOD GOOD XEMQUA CONTENT. ur aqua is soooo fuckin good and i love her forever rip in pieces

@alnaari & @pcisoner : HONESTLY LBR YOU TWO ARE A PACKAGE DEAL. i really feel Seen by u two and ur writing. u both Get Me on an aesthetic level, you understand the feeling that i want to portray in my writing, and you portray the same feeling. i stan the both of you, you’re so talented, i stalk all your threads, and TREASURE YOUR FRIENDSHIP!

@guiltscorched: i LOVE all your muses, even the ones i don’t know, and speaking as someone who plays ignis.... i think you just GET ignis. you like understand him so fucking well, and i can HEAR HIM in your replies, and it’s just like WROW. amazing. ur amazing!!! ur writing is so beautiful and delicate and i just want to swim in it like a big pool full of quality writing.

@whosyourcultdaddy : I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU STILL FOLLOW ME AFTER ALL THE BLASPHEMY I POST BUT LISTEN. I LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH. YOU’RE SO FUNNY AND SO FUCKING TALENTED. PLEASE NEVER CHANGE HOW WEIRD AND AMAZING YOU ARE OKAY. UR ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BLOGS OF ALL TIME (on every single one of your blogs) and i’ll FOLLOW U INTO THE ABYSS

@dearlybelovedhearts : I ALMOST FORGOT YOU EVEN THO WE’RE LITERALLY TALKING RIGHT NOW OMG. i love how much thought you put into your charactesr and your plots! your docs are SCARY GOOD LOOKIN. ur so true to ur characters and their hearts, and i LOVE talking to you even tho we BASICALLY just met lol.

@invertxgo: we’re not as close as we used to be, but that’s okay! i still think the WORLD of you and all your characters. our friendship is evolving just like my blog is, and i hope we get to have lots of good good interactions on this blog! thanks for refollowing me bro!

#follow forever for ts #long post cw #positivity cw #not rp #ooc

[slainfury]

RAVUS & NOCTIS: A COMPLICATED MATTER

so  we’re  essentially  given  breadcrumbs  at  best  in  regards  to  defining  the  relationship  between  ravus  and  noctis.  the  basic  outlook  is  that  the  two  in  the  present  gaming  timeline  don’t  get  along  and  that  ravus  despises  noctis;  but  i  think  it’s  more  than  that,  i  want  to  take  it  further  than  that.  so,  to  some  extent,  this  is  headcanon  based  and  applicable  only  to  my  blog  (  and  the  noctis  whom  i  have  developed  this  meta  with  )

i  want  to  start  with  the  reminder  that  these  two  were  childhood  friends  as  well.  do  i  have  any  scenes  /  dialogue  to  prove  this ?  well,  no.  given  that  we  barely  have  three  minutes  worth  of  screentime  for  noctis  and  luna’s  childhood  flashbacks  as  is  (  y’know,  the  girl  he’s  someday  to  marry  /  the  oracle  to  help  him  lead  )  it’s  no  surprise  that  any  exploration  between  him  and  ravus  is  left  in  the  dust.  but  it  takes  a  little  common  sense,  really:  he’s  luna’s  brother,  after  all,  and  her  only  sibling.  given  how  close  these  two  are,  i  think  it’s  safe  to  say  --  at  the  very  least  --  he  and  noct  had  friendly  interactions  with  one  another.  generally,  i  charactertize  the  childhood  relationship  as  this:  noct,  a  canonically  shy  and  introverted  child,  likely  somewhat  intimidated  by  the  older  ravus.  and  in  the  meantime  ravus  was  polite  and  friendly,  treating  him  no  differently  than  he  would  with  luna  --  even  if  any  attempts  to  have  long  lasting  conversations  with  the  boy  were  futile.

take  a  look  at  this  screenshot  from  the  opening  scene  of  kingsglaive ;

ravus,  in  the  background,  smiling  just  as  his  mother  sylva  is.  he  is  just  as  welcoming  of  regis  and  noctis  as  she  is.  there  is  no  indication  whatsoever  that  back  then  he  ‘disliked’  or  ‘barely  tolerated’  the  lucis  caelum  family.  in  fact,  anyone  who  makes  these  claims  has  no  justification  to  that  whatsoever  --  both  their  kingdoms  were  intact,  all  was  well,  and  for  ravus  and  noct  --  two  children  --  the  war  was  a  seemingly  faraway  event.  troubling,  perhaps,  but  their  knowledge  of  it  at  that  moment  then  was  nowhere  near  the  extent  as  their  parents  was.

and  then  comes  tragedy,  mere  minutes  later.  his  mother  slaughtered  before  his  very  eyes,  her  blood  literally  splattering  on  his  face.  he,  too,  is  wounded  and  left  alone  in  the  wildfires  begging  regis  for  his  help.  but  regis  (  to  no  fault  of  his  own,  imo  )  chooses  to  save  his  son  --  his  injured,  then - wheelchair  bound  son  that’s  incapable  of  running  --  and  makes  the  attempt  to  save  luna  because  she’s  closeby.  ravus  is  not.  it’s  the  most  difficult  decision  any  parent  can  make,  choosing  to  leave  behind  a  child.

and  so,  ravus  resents  regis.  but  not  noctis.

ravus  is  very  much  aware  that  this  has  little  to  do  with  noctis.  noctis  isn’t  the  reason  that  tenebrae  was  attacked.  it  wasn’t  noctis  whom  sylva  chose  to  heroically  sacrifice  her  life  for.  it  wasn’t  noctis  that  took  off  running  and  abandoned  him.

ravus  resents  regis,  the  adult.  the  king,  who  had  forsaken  innocent  people  and  selfishly  escaped  with  his  own  life.  regis,  who  has  seemingly  done  nothing  since  after  he  and  his  sister  were  taken  prisoner  by  niflheim.  regis,  who  focused  on  the  walls  of  refuge  within  his  won  kingdom  and  too  preoccupied  to  worry  for  tenebrae  after  it  and  its  queen  bled  and  died  for  him.

and  so  i  again,  i  say,  ravus  hates  regis.  not  noctis.

so  why  the  resentment?  why  the  bitterness  upon  their  reunion?

it  isn’t  directed  towards  noctis,  the  person.  it  is  to  life,  to  how  noctis  has  essentially  had  it  easier  than  him.  it  is  to  the  seemingly  carefree  attitude  noctis  presents  with  (  in  ravus’  eyes  )  and  how  he  doesn’t  seem  to  understand  that.  noctis  wasn’t  stripped  of  his  titles  and  crown,  watched his  kingdom  set  aflame.  noctis  wasn’t  beaten  and  humiliated,  a  helpless  witness  more  or  less  forced  to  watch  his  sister  be  assaulted  and  exploited  for  her  powers.  noctis  wasn’t  forced  to  bear  the  burden  of  expecting  to  somehow  miraculously  rise  up  and  rule  as  a  boy - king,  and  be  blamed  anyhow  for  failing.

(  yes,  noctis  endures  horrible  things.  his  life  is  tragic,  as  well.  and  at  the  present  timeline  in  the  game,  noctis  has  just  lost  his  father  and  home  as  well.  his  entire  set - up  is  pure  tragedy,  as  he  was  more  or  less  born  to  die.  we  as  the  audience  know  this;  ravus  does  not.  additionally,  the  comparisons  which  an  embittered  ravus  is  making  is  in  reference  to  their  childhoods.  aside  from  the  loss  of  his  mother,  which  happened  prior  to  the  events  of  the  fall  of  tenebrae,  noctis  lived  a  relatively  safe  and  happy  life  in  the  walls  of  insomnia  as  opposed  to  ravus’  life  as  a  prisoner  of  war.  )

-  it  is  also  worth  noting  that  even  when  insomnia  falls  /  the  death  of  regis,  noctis  has  the  love  and  support  of  his  friends  at  his  side.  his  friends,  all  adults  who  are  capable  of  handling  themselves  and  not  dependent  on him.  ravus  did  not  have  that.  he  had  lunafreya,  his  little  sister  who  was  dependent  on  him,  and  that’s  about  it.  for  all  we  know,  any  and  all  of  ravus’  friends  were  taken  prisoner  or  executed  shortly  after  the  fall  of  tenebrae  for  remaining  nox  fleuret  loyalists  and  not  submitting  to  niflheim.

more  evidence  regarding  my  point,  that  ravus  hates  noctis’  attitude  but  not  noctis:

-  you  received  the  storm’s  blessing.  and  yet,  you  know  nothing  of  the  consequences.

said  consequences  being  the  failing  health  of  lunafreya,  the  woman  they  both  love.  for  all  her  mighty  and  heroic  efforts  in  contacting  with  the  gods,  it  takes  a  toll  on  her  health  each  and  every  time.  it  is  quite  literally  killing  lunafreya  to  serve  noctis,  to  fulfill  a  duty  she  feels  obligated  to  fulfill.  and  noctis,  someone  who  claims  to  love  his  sister  dearly,  apparently  has  no  idea  of  that  all.  this  infuriates  ravus.  how  can  her  husband - to - be  just  seemingly  run  about  idly  with  his  friends,  with  not  a  care  in  the  world  as  luna  is  dying  over  some  ancient  prophecy?

-  first  the  lucians  stole  me  my  mother. ...  and  now  they  make  a  sacrifice  of  my  sister!

remember,  it  was  a  lucian  prophecy  that  foretold  all  of  this.  but  again,  noctis  ravus  doesn’t  outright  say  noctis  at  any  point  in  time.  he  never  says  “he  makes  a  sacrifice  of  my  sister”;  he  refers  to  the  ancestors  instead.

the  following  scene,  wherein  he  attempts  to  attack  /  kill  noctis  is  exactly  what  it  looks  like.  i’m  not  going  to  try  and  divulge  it  into  something  else.  but  there’s  a  simple  explanation:  grief.  this  man  has  lost  everything  in  this  very  moment.  everything  he  has  ever  done  since  the  murder  of  his  mother  was  for  the  sake  of  his  sister,  for  the  sake  of  preserving  their  family  through  all  this  horror  and  tragedy.  and  yet,  despite  it  all,  he  has  failed.  all  the  horrible  deeds  he  himself  has  committed  were  for  nothing  or  all  in  vain.  it  seems  plausible  to  me  that  someone  so  grief - stricken  by  such  tremendous  loss  would  make  poor  choices,  all  emotion  based,  and  temporarily  lose  his  mind.

moments  later,  ravus  saves  noctis  from  ardyn  /  from  certain  death  --  just  as  lunafreya  had.  ravus,  too,  has  now  accepted  the  importance  of  noctis’  destiny.  he  no  longer  denies  the  prophecy  and  its  belonging  to  noctis.  and  more  importantly,  recognizes  the  need  for  noctis  to  be  alive.  to  (  from  ravus’  perspective  and  knowledge,  not  ours  )  rule  insomnia  after  eradicating  the  darkness,  truly  becoming  the  light.

it’s  why  he  dies  in  the  main  timeline  recognizing  noctis  as  the  one  true  king.  it’s  why  he  dies  failing  to  deliver  regis’  sword  to  noctis.

it’s  why  he  succeeds  in  the  alternate  ep  ignis  timeline

because  together,  when  the  darkness  is  eradicated,  they  will  remain.  there  is  work  to  be  done,  and  neither  will  be  able  to  accomplish  it  without  the  other.  the  ruins  of  insomnia  and  ashes  of  tenebrae  will  be  rebult  by  two  kings.

and  two  brothers.

#❪ 🗡️ .◦.˚・ﾟ✧ ┊❝ ━━━ to resist was to fail; for it was written in fate. / ( headcanons. ) #meta. #this is my pride n joy pls love it

[sinnhelmingrmoved]

@destinysthralls said: 📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜 ravioli ravioli give me the formuoli

:)))

Hel and Fang are both polearm fighters. Why not have some sparring with a bet riding on it? A lil fun a lil flirty mostly getting a good sweat going. Get up close and personal trying to take your opponent down and get your way.

One more day until Vanille has to go out and find her new purpose. Time to spend it doing everything they can together until she has to go. Hel not wanting tears, but a happy memory to bookend Vanille’s time with her.

Hel doesn’t know shit about men and here comes Snow crashing in on the squad and giving her a crash course on the human male. Odd friendship ensues once they learn to get along with each other.

The chocobros gain something of a guardian angel, a false friend and ally who merely ensures parts are played and that Noctis is poised to do what her lover requires of him. During all of the subterfuge, two devoted servants to a royal start to bond.

‘I’m being held hostage by this small child and I don’t even mind please introduce me to Chocolina because I hear she is the best thing in the world next to you’ ; or, how Dajh is really good at this friend making thing.

Gladio got his ass beat by the divine once and is not over it, why won’t you face me in battle again you coward? And quoth the Messenger, boy, you would literally die if I came at you again.

Hel has been a part of Aerith’s life, never constant but coming and going as she can. She knew a daughter imprisoned, a girl in a church, and only at the end does Aerith come to realize what was truly hanging over her head -- and how it pains higher powers.

Everyone is on high alert that someone broke into a base and stole Ardyn’s car because it cannot be located. Hel rolls up two hours later in custody with smoothies and a lot of explaining to do because she just wanted to drive the car you monsters.

Cloud and Hel are both traveling worlds looking for people who are important to them in some ways. Hel could use his strength if he could use her connections as they move between KH worlds seeking the lost.

Axel and Saix are itching for a throne to throw as Hel struggles to run her own games behind the scenes. They soon become players in a cat and mouse scenario to obscure their exact motivations while forced to play along with Xehanort’s own ideas.

Hel becomes very intrigued by Barrett’s goals and ultimate success. What do you even do with weird goth chicks that know too much and are a little too happy to see you? What does she mean by she has a message from a friend?

She promises Zack will live on, but he’s not too pleased with the reality of that statement back on Earth. If Aerith is bad about bartering to go back I just imagine Zack is that but on crack. And now Hel is Suffering.

Hel becomes a north star to Xemnas across whatever time he finds himself in, always ready to welcome him back, always ready to listen. So what happens in a time when she cannot be found?

Even gets ‘adopted’ because Hel is just in love with him and his brain. Featuring Even actually having to answer to someone older than him and them talking lore and science for hours as their schedules allow.

Get your contract buddy ATW doesn’t deserve you and I’m taking all of you back to my realm where y’all will get some RESPECT. Yes, Aeleus, you are included in this staff breakout. No she won’t explain herself.

What better way to protect the future than gaining some divine backup? Hel would be happy to help Hope with his goals if she can stop asking who let a child run an organization on his own. No ma’am he is in fact an adult--

‘I don’t know if I kidnapped your moogle or if your moogle kidnapped me but apparently you needed something and I’m sorry for distracting the creature, how can I possibly make it up to you Serah?’

Rude is supposed to be keeping tabs on some kind of creature sighted in certain regions. Hel is less than thrilled with the surveillance, and starts playing games with Rude that leave him questioning if he has been compromised or not.

A Queen of Darkness and a Princess of Light come together in a sort of mentor-student arrangement where Hel can help Kairi grow stronger if Kairi will help get her up to speed on what the fuck the plot outside of the Organization even is to her.

Two immortals spot each other from across the castle despite the bodies they wear, recognize each other’s hearts, and start to roast the shit out of each other: A Hel and Xigbar story.

Local Guado Wants To Crack The Code Of How Lulu ‘Does That’ With Her Puppets, Starts Staying Almost Up Her Ass, Romance Ensues as They Discuss The Journey, Craft, and General Gayness.

A young Guado smells something Hinky on a not so local Guardian. No, Jecht, she will not be so easily put aside. She has the good booze and she will get answers, even if they are all fake.

Hel reunites with a Guardian she met in passing some years ago, and He Reeks of the Farplane. Not that it’s her place to judge. She’s just as curious as ever and willing to listen if he ever wants to talk about what he is.

Two outsiders to the Human majority of Spira band together and will not be separated. Hel is willing to share her spiritualism with Rikku if she will repay in kind with talk of Machina and her native tongue.

Hel actually hearing Dona out and seeing past her antagonism to the fact she’s still willing to undertake a Pilgrimage to try and save the world. Someone actually treats Dona politely. That means the world to me.

SHIPPING! (not necessarily our muses shipping together just shipping as a component of our muses interacting)

Hel discovers that Fang’s breaking point is softness and non-sexual PDA in public. So she continues to press this killswitch for her own amusement on a date night, letting Fang be both loved and mortified the entire evening.

Hel and Vanille get a pet, and then run through conversations they can have to convince Fang this is clearly the best idea ever and not trouble waiting to happen. Just a small domestic fluff about adding to their little family.

When your wives are very important and busy so you get to stay in all night and brag about how much you love them to another work widow(er), or how Snow and Hel don’t worry and just accept they are bonded to actual goddesses.

Hel tries to discern the exact relationship dynamics of the Chocobros and is chided for having ‘shipping goggles’ on. So she goes to Ignis to clear up any confusion. Shenanigans ensue as she either holds the crew dead to rights or is hilariously off the mark.

‘What does ‘If I Had To Pick a Dude’ even mean?’ ‘That you are overthinking a party game and making it weirder than it has to be.’ Or, did she actually mean anything by that or was Sazh just the most tolerable man present?

‘STOP LOOKING AT MY BONER WHEN WE FIGHT’ Or, does Gladio actually mean anything by that or is getting the blood pumping simply messing with his body in ways he cannot control?

Hel calls it Aerith’s Girlhood, a place set aside, a bed in a field of flowers, a sky sheltering and painted with false stars. She makes it soft for her. This is the way of courtship, isn’t it? I read a lot of Gluck and I need a ‘Myth of Devotion’ plot for them.

For ten years, she is the Night’s Queen, though he will not call her that. She is a consort, wearing the crown of an ancient queen, wandering broken hallways, watching him slowly come undone. And she loves him still. Ten years is nothing next to two thousand.

‘So what does Aerith mean to you?’ ‘A lot.’ ‘Oh. What does Zack mean to you?’ And she understands perfectly what his exhaustion with questions means. Road trips and the inevitable embarrassing romantic questions.

Axel and Hel both understanding what it is to watch the one you love battle with themselves, to become a stranger at their cruelest. Share a smoke. Waste the night playing ‘Yes, But’ with someone that understands.

Barrett’s very handsome, and she is very lonely, and she thinks he is a wonderful person. Does he have any plans, now that the Apocalypse is over? Or, she keeps getting weirder and keeps haunting his door.

‘So, you and Aerith, is that going to make things awkward?’ Hel thought she was tired before she started a relationship with both her Persephone and her Knight. Hel is, of course, entitled to be wrong. And exhausted. So very exhausted.

Hel presents Xemnas with an offering that must mean something to him, in what he knows of the old man’s life. She will have him always, if permitted. The question is, will he agree to sharing the Paopu to seal the deal?

‘Isn’t it slightly unethical to date your boss?’ Even is a grown man but Hel cannot help but tease his long term ‘thing’ with aforementioned Boss. But it’s also nice to hear of another side of the Sage King.

‘I will give you many munnies if you will escort me to this fancy dinner because your partner in crime is already spoken for. No, Aeleus, I did not say as my body guard. I said as my escort.’

‘You know, people really like that vulnerable, sensitive thing you have going on.’ ‘This is the last conversation I ever want to be having.’ Or words to that effect. Hel ribs The Baby for being a bit of A Babe when grown.

Please explain to Hel how your relationship works because she is fascinated by the fact someone looks at Snow and said yes, this is where I have chosen to lay my affections for life.

Surveillance Creeper happens to crash an anniversary dinner Rude arranged by sitting a few tables away, observing but never interfering, apparently minding her own business but she’s just THERE SHE’S RIGHT THERE.

Mombie talks to baby about relationships and girls and boys and just has a nice heart to heart about it all. Based on that one Kairi-As-Ansem’s-Daughter idea that I’m still so pumped about.

.Hel and Xigbar make a bet about the relationship status of two of the Foretellers. Both try to doctor the narrative to suit their own take on the pair, obscuring fact, fiction, history, and near fanfiction.

The morning after a ‘There Is Only One Bed’ trope, and how both actually feel comfortable and at ease after so long alone. Can be before relationship or their first night alone together in the same bed, but consider it, won’t you?

Hel has a discussion with someone that Summoners getting involved with their Guardians is completely natural. She talks like she has experience. Well, yeah, not personal experience but -- and someone’s brain breaks at what she is implying.

Hel feels sad about Auron being the only one left, having lost two people he loved. Two people who have lost a lot in different contexts just have a comforting moment together to not be alone. Not romo but more based on lost romo.

‘So tell me about this Paine I’ve heard so much about :))))’ or, Rikku comes to realize she has been adopted and her Guado Mom wants to meet the GF. Chaos can completely ensue coming off of this.

Dona’s pretty and Hel is gay, that’s all I got. Literally anything could happen up to and including Hel making a complete ass of herself trying to either avoid Dona or interact with her without throwing off pheromones.

AUS!

Hel is some kind of figure in the spotlight -- a socialite, a performer, someone of note. Fang is her bodyguard here to keep her safe. No one would ever guess at what happens behind closed doors, the tension that runs between the two of them in spite of contracts and official relationships.

Breakfast club college AU. Just a couple of girls trying to get their shit together and honest to God looking like a modern take on the eponymous movie. They love each other and are here to do kegstands.

Hel is snow’s weirdo neighbor in their apartment complex but damn if he doesn’t know ho to bring the community together. Sometimes in the worst ways, but hey, anything to kick goth chick out of her shell.

Ignis and Hel are rival spies. They play long games and pursue the same leads, each trying to end the stalemate between their respective countries. Both are also far closer to the ruling class than they allow the other to believe.

Hel is just a simple pediatrician. Dajh is a very adventurous boy with a very invested father. At this point Sazh is on her Yule card list, and the two strike up a sort of friendship after hours.

Gym bro/personal trainer Gladio gets a knew client that is too tiny too delicate for this world. That is exactly what she is here to work on. Time to get swole little chronically ill stick woman.

Local witch swears that Aerith’s is the best place to get ritual plants and flowers despite ribbing claiming that she has a crush on the owner, but that crush theory really starts to hold water when the plant Hel really really really needs once is a... succulent.

Ardyn’s the beautiful but chronically ill next best thing in art, fashion, or film. Hel is his nurse and constant companion, the only one that gets to see the man behind the glamour when he is at his worst. Romance ensues.

There’s only one thing above an Angel, and she has come to offer herself to Cloud in his world-saving pursuits. If a covenant can be forged, then who knows what he will become, but at least this ghost will be real.

Yeah it’s awkward for our partners that we moved in next door to each other, but that’s really Isa and Xemnas’ baggage. I, on the other hand, like you and want to be friends. Or, Lea and Hel are goblins.

Hel as the relative to one of ShinRa’s high rollers, selling out her uncle’s secrets and business dealings to AVALANCHE without a second’s hesitation. She’s the inside woman, and one of Barrett’s biggest supporters, even if only in silence.

The feather that fell on the Colosseum did not belong to a certain Angel. What happens when Hel interferes in the life of one mortal who wants only to be a hero, one willing to work hard to get there?

Xemnas is the new literary hotness trying his hand at a play. Hel is the actress that fought tooth and nail for the lead roll. Problem: She has more chemistry with the creator than her fellow lead.

Hel is what was dragged into the lab twelve years ago. For freedom from this castle, she can whisper eldritch knowledge in Even’s ear, slippery as poison. What, precisely, have they pulled from the Darkness, and what threat does she present?

Similar to the above, but Hel knows not how to reason with this guard. He is meant to protect, to defend. All she can do is study him with those cold, sad eyes, try to stir his heart while he still has it.

We Are All Just God’s Abandoned Children. That’s one way to welcome a young foster kid to the house, but Hel is going to look out for this younger kid Hope anyway. Found family ensues.

Mog the Dog is in love with Garmr the Dog. We have to stop meeting like this. People will talk. They’re on texting terms just to say ‘Your dog’s here, he’s fine. Either he’ll find his way home or you can come get him whenever.’

Why would ShinRa have her trailed by the TURKS if they didn’t suspect her of her involvement with AVALANCHE? Tiem for Hel to pull out all the stops to try and throw Rude off her scent.

Reuniting with your family is hard. Harder when you have no memory of said family and Dad has a new love interest. Despite all of that, Hel comes to dote on Kairi, giving them a chance to bond and Kairi get a mom.

A Hel and Xigbar idea: Politician’s daughter and Assassin. MB he’s assigned to keep an eye on her when shit gets real in some of her father’s business dealings. Whether he’s for or against her family would be fun to plot.

Local Goth Summons The Goddess of the Dead, Intentionally or Otherwise ; Death Thinks She’s Kind of Cute. Lulu gains a patron and Hel gains a crush.  Everyone goes home happy.

Hel’s the nerdy shy kid in gym class and Jecht is the zealous coach that she despises. Except then she needs an athletic extracurricular to round out her college application. Teeth clenched teamwork for personal and team success.

High fantasy AU where Auron is the black knight who presses on, with a rider all in black hounding his every step. She appears every night to share his company, a little wine, and remind him of their bargain. She’s not reaped him yet, but once his business on earth is settled... He will return to her embrace.

Hel finds a new community once kicked out of Guado society. Or, in which Hel follows after the Al-Bhed and becomes a part of Rikku’s life from a young age, thus securing Momability.

Hel becomes one of Dona’s guardians along the way, and the two fight viciously over who gets to use the brain cell while being harmonious in most other aspects of traveling together. Romance may or may not ensue.

Other muses!

Eraqus: Please stop wrecking shit this is getting out of hand-- Fang: FcuK YUO-- And then they gotta fight and cause further property damage.

I don’t know whose verse we base it in but I need Vanille and Gwynevere to team up, maximize slay, and generally be absolute icons with soft spots for their legendary badass partners.

Kokoro and Snow interacting would be amazing and you know it. I don’t know who would crack first. Kokoro’s realism or Snow’s optimism.

Aqua, Ignis, and discussing how you have to be the strong one holding up the ones you love, no matter the cost. I feel like we could really break our hearts with this one.

Eraqus and Sazh could get frustrated at the kids for having gone a little nuts while they were out on a date, but y’know what? They’re in a good mood. Just cuddle and let the kids sleep and deal with it in the morning.

Eraqus, formerly of the Kingsguard before he got too old to serve, and the esteem of one young Amacitia mb. That or Gladio befriends Eraqus just to piss Kokoro off if we wanna play it that way.

Kokoro being uselessly gay for Aerith FOR TEN YEARS in Traverse Town and having no brain cells to actually convey that to her, then they meet again in Radiant Garden and well fuck she’s still crushing hard.

Every night, the Kingsguard’s daughter storms the city, makes her way towards the Citadel, and means to slay the Dragon. He has not killed her yet. Ardyn and Kokoro have a particular dance, and they cannot say why.

Aerith and Cloud getting soft comrade moments because they have both been through so much please. Please let them catch one break and get to act their actual ages and have a moment for life before it’s all gone for one of them.

Aria and Axel would be fantastic because they’re both a very controlled flame, they both just sort of are casually dangerous. I just want to play them off of each other and see if they end up allies or rivals.

Eraqus and Barrett working together in the field in our FF7 AU. Looking out for each other. Timing their attacks perfectly for the opportunity to fuck ShinRa up as much as possible.

Eraqus has to deal with this kid that is infatuated with his student. Does that kid have a boombox. What the fuck. This shit keeps happening.

Roleswap Xemkoro. Eraqus having become too zealous and thrown off the balance of light and darkness, seeking Kingdom Hearts to wash the world in light and begin again. Xemnas as the echo of an old friend who will see this ended before it goes that far. Kokoro the dutiful daughter who runs things in her father’s absence, who is drawn to this familiar stranger even as they oppose one another at every turn.

Even’s adopting Kokoro. Your father forbid you from pursuing certain knowledge? Terrible, he doesn’t deserve to be a father. I am your father now. We’re going to the opera. You have so much to learn. Meet your brother Ienzo.

We don’t know why Mads has imprinted on this guard in particular, she just has and she will not leave him alone.

I just want Aerith and hope to interact and her to try and cheer him up please. please.

Just throw Serah at anyone via time travel and all of that I can just imagine her falling into anyone’s life tbh. Try and dance around who you are and where in the hell you came from.

Aria is a TURK in training and guess who she gets to shadow for a day? Teach Her Rude!

Aqua and Kairi need to bond! Aqua and Kairi need to have a mentor-student dynamic! They need to catch up! They need to be friends! I will not be silenced!

Eraqus as a descendant of Brain, who fought to oppose MoM and Luxu, meeting with Luxu in some body before Braig. Can you even imagine the tension and sins of the father in that room? Sweet Jesus.

Braska mb interacting with Lulu once or twice because he wants to know about the other children his daughter is so fond of, the ones who... will be there for her, when he is not. Let’s all have a cry about it.

Long Dad Talk ‘Come To Yevon’ meetings between Braska and Jecht where Braska offers no judgment, only support for Jecht to get better. BC growth is important. And so is being a good dad, Braska knows.

Auron’s Bi Awakening for this church pretty boy.

Flower girl meets machine girl. IDK how. Aerith and Rikku rights.

Kokoro and Dona are implicitly to the public confirmed behind closed doors sapphic summoners. cuteness ensues.

Other Muse AUs!

I still want the Xemkoro Penny Dreadful AU. Our haunted and hell-touched protagonist with the werefox lady lead far from home. With Kokoro still trying to figure out how the hell Satan thought appearing as ATW was going to make Xem drop his pants. And then gets baffled that it worked.

Younger Eraqus ends up in Radiant Gardens and runs into Even. Has to play it cool about not being from this world. This world he knows nothing about. Even smells a rat.

Ok hear me out AU where ATW cannot and does not return. Mads goes from heiress apparent to a girl-queen to a world she cannot remember. Kokoro stays on as her regent, arguing that though she is an outsider, she is a blue blood, a noble, the descendant of royalty in her own homeland. But both she and the young queen will need a defender. And for that, she turns to a certain guard...

The Xemrith Hades and Persephone AU. Let’s do it. Let’s go all out. I wanna see it come to fruition.

Also, Xemqua Deathless AU. A deathless king spirits away a clever young fairytale maiden, and all the tears and horror that comes with such a story.

Braska is not the one to defeat Sin. He and his party have to go home and face themselves and figure out ‘What Now?’ as we go fully AU.

Single Dad muses in a modern AU forming a friend group. They all hang out once or twice a month and do fun things together. It’s great. It’s soothing. Nobody goes it alone.

Aerith and Zack getting a happily ever after??? In an AU???

Modern AU Braska, Jecht, and Auron navigating a relationship like the Fooles they are. Braska’s a simple youth pastor with a lot of love to give and incalculable migraines from his babes.

Mads and Rikku as friends burning the whole ass world to the ground. Because come on. Come on.

Anything with my Eraqus and your Aqua please I am dying here. I need some good family interactions.

Kokoro and Fang as sparring partners in some form or fashion. I need to see my queens just battle for dominance. I am very gay please have mercy.

KH AU Gwynevere as a pinnacle of a land of light having to come face to face with Xemnas and all the darkness that follows him.

Kokoro continues to bully Gladio no matter the verse. Because we know she does. Gladio has no rights.

AU where Kairi and Mads are like roommates or neighbors or online pals and get to be sunshine girls and nobody is hurt and no one has any loss of worlds to forget.

Aria as an AVALANCHE agent who infiltrated the TURKs and all that implies for your muses. Good for any of the rebels or even for Rude as far as plotting goes.

A whole ass pantheon AU. Get all our muses in it. Go absolutely balls to the wall nuts.

Mads playing matchmaker to Kokoro and Xemnas in some modern verse. Maybe playing Cyrano and leaving them little clues and letters allegedly from each other.

Sami we are simple gays. And we need DnD AUs. And we can divide our muses into parties and just have at it in some setting. Pwease.

Braska being a supportive dad to pop star Yuna and Rikku is along for the ride and so now he has a whole other kid to be taking care of.

AUs where ships were just a moment off of canon. Where someone walked away, where they just missed each other, where love did not conquer, where love did not last, where someone died, where someone lived, just. The what if of a life without each other.

Fuck me sideways can you imagine Braska Auron and Jecht in a college AU because I don’t think Jecht’s liver will survive.

Kokoro actually embraces her adolescent feelings for a childhood friend and pursues Aqua, only for RP canon to still happen as outlined.

Kokoro mainverse where she is a high born lady of Scala and Aqua arrives to explain what has been going down in the last twelve years and ‘oh no I’m gay.’

And, of course, that one Xemkoro idea we have involving the story never truly ending ;)

And because I still owe you two, here are two generals:

A time traveler’s wife au, any ship u want bb.

Family stuff. Found families, adoption, siblings, parent and child, ship babies, the pet is basically our kid, we have each other and that makes our family, anything I just need some familial relationships to water my crops.

#plottingmeme; #destinysthralls #ask #I GAVE YOU EXACTLY WHAT YOU ASKED FOR BECAUSE I CARE.

[bladesandstars]

10 Favorites from 2018

In 2018, I wrote 166,124 words that I posted on AO3, plus another 27,941 that I've written but not posted yet! I did an earlier post of my fics with the most kudos, but I'm going to love up some of my own favorites too. List under the cut!

Thank you if you read any of these, offered comments or kudos or flailed with me on how to write the damn words! Fellow creators, I would love to see your own most-loved works of 2018 - tag me if you make a post!

Lucis Military Academy (Aranea/Crowe, ratings from G to E). This series is special to me for a lot of reasons. It kicked off my adoration for Aranea/Crowe as a pairing, it helped me develop a backstory for Aranea, and I got to create and flesh out sort of a canon-adjacent AU 10 years before game events -  I still love it a lot (and yes, I do intend to finish it, I promise!).

Disarmed (Ignis/Nyx, ratings from T to E). Another series favorite (because 2018 was also about learning how to plan/write something other than oneshots!). Ignyx quickly became a top-tier beloved pairing for me and this was another chance to play with pre-canon events. I love these boys a whole lot and I hope it shows. 

Flare (Prompto/Aranea, E). 2018's rarepair week inspired some fics I love, like this one, a short World of Ruin Promnea featuring BAMF!Prompto. 

Détente (Ignis/Ravus, E). Rarepair week also inspired my first try at Fleurentia, and, well - I ended up loving them a lot! ("trade deals are sexy I promise" - classic tag).

Conspire Against the Odds (Fleurentia, ratings from T to E). I loved Fleurentia so much I ended up collaborating with the wonderful @tinyconfectionary on this ongoing college AU with many other fun rarepairs too.

until the last note fades (Gladio/Ignis, Crownyx, T for now). I dove into another AU with several of my stalwart favorite things: Gladnis, slow burn, guitars, and more rarepairs (eventually). This is a rockband AU, ongoing, and I love the title because I stole it from myself.

A Delicate Balance (Ravus/Aranea, E). Kinktober turned into Ravneatober with this very NSFW, multi-kink three-parter. I had a lot of fun with this one and it just solidified my love for both characters and for this pairing.

Pure Morning (Aranea/Ignis/boots, E). I'll always love Highspecs, and though my current longfic for them is still unpublished, I can't help but write oneshots here and there.

Lemonade Kisses (Gladio/Luna/Noctis, E). Farm AU oneshot where my eternal thirst and love for Luna and Gladio thrived and Noctis entered the scene as dangerously sexy (hasn't left, really). 

Equal and Opposite (Cor/Aranea, M). Cornea turned out to be a REALLY fun dynamic and I loved writing this.

#aracrowe #ignyx #promnea #fleurentia #gladnis #crownyx #ravnea #highspecs #gladlunoct #cornea #hope writes #ffxv fanfic #hey look at that #i was kind of surprised once i made the list but #almost all my faves were E rated or at least relatively spicy #yeet #own your thirst 2k19

[theperidotshade]

hamelin-born replied to your post “So, as part of the Arranged Marriage AU - a few random thoughts. As...”

I think the cultural sights/ tourist thing is kind of - hit or miss with Ardyn. Yes, he enjoys being exposed to high culture etc, and it's rather nice to be pampered and he really enjoys his library subscription - but museums proudly featuring artifacts etc from over 2000 years ago can bestir some horrendous memories. And I don't even want to image his reaction to having to visit lavish temples etc in praise of the astral/Bahamut - although he might be a little gleeful at getting to 'profane'

said holy places.

That sums it up nicely!

There’s a very awkward moment in a museum where Ardyn realizes, upon seeing ‘The Crown of the Mystic’ displayed, that Somnus stole his crown literally as well as figuratively, but he can’t react the way he wants to in front of everyone.

Like everything else in this AU, the scene’s going to be from Regis’ POV, so he knows something’s wrong but doesn’t get the full story until much later.

I also just had a thought—religious plays are a thing in every culture.  I’m imagining the bitter amusement Ardyn might get out of seeing a theatrical depiction of his prophesied battle with Noctis.  Regis, sitting there in the same box, is also very uncomfortable for different reasons.  That particular event planner is getting fired.

Ardyn is definitely Dealing With Emotions Poorly when it comes time to visit temples and such.

Especially since I headcanon it as traditional to formally and publicly pray for Bahamut’s favor at the start of negotiations.

He keeps a straight face only because he’s not sure if he wants to laugh or cry.

#hamelin-born #Arranged Marriage AU #my fanfic #ffxv

[mimiplaysgames]

Strength to Protect the Things That Matter (Ch. 21)

Pairing: Terra/Aqua Rating: T Other characters: Garnet, Aqua, Hope, Rydia, Noctis, Riku, Kefka Word Count: 7,113

Summary: Terra has prayed for years. He wanted relief from having no one to talk to in the dark, except with the monster of a man who stole his life. One day, when two boys get a lead, he gets his chance - less than a week - to set things right before he loses everything again.

AO3       FF.net

A/N: I’m so damn excited to finally get to this! The flashback scene was inspired by @holyteapotofrussell ‘s absolutely adorable art that features Terra and Aqua as children.  They also wrote an equally adorable fic that fits their headcanons for this art piece. Please check out their work and send love! Thank you so much for allowing me to use this piece as inspiration. It’s been MONTHS since I have asked you for this, and I have been so blessed to get to you know you since. <3

I have been asked by a Tumblr reader to include pictures/video of Final Fantasy characters that have never appeared on Kingdom Hearts before. I included those links at the end of this chapter.

Clowning

The windows on the second floor of the hotel have large enough window sills that Terra can sit on one and stare away at the clock tower. Hope has given him an herbal drink brewed with acacia for strength and alertness. Everyone who volunteers to fight Kefka will drink this ahead of the battle. For now, all he can do is wait for orders. 

But it isn’t the fight with Kefka that occupies his mind. He holds his Wayfinder in his hand, stroking it as he daydreams about meeting her again.

Being that Aqua has been surviving in the Realm of Darkness for a little more than twelve years, Terra builds an image of her in his mind. She is about thirty years old now. The baby fat will subside, leaving hollower cheeks and stronger cheekbones. She will probably be curvier than before, in all the right places. If she smiles at all, the lines of her eyes will grace them. Her hair may have grown out, and it’s a wonder how long it is now. Maybe it already is showing sneaky strands of gray. Her eyes will be the same. Either way, she would still be pretty.

The sound of shaky wheels creep up behind him. Garnet is pushing a cart filled with bandages, multi-colored potions, and a large pitcher of water, approaching a door. He gets up and holds it open for her so she can slip through. The lights in the room are dimly lit in a warm glow, almost as if to be relaxing... but it’s a different story altogether. Inside are two rows of small beds, each with a person either sleeping, coughing, or dealing with pain. There are more people, as well - some with arm slings, others who do not have any visible injuries but are perhaps suffering nonetheless. Some of them approach her when she enters.

“Terra,” she calls as she is surrounded, “would you be a dear and fetch me those cups?”

She points to a number of cups that are placed high on a shelf - clearly too high for her unless she used a ladder. Terra states that he will help her, and follows her around as he pours each person in the room a cup of water. She speaks quietly to every single person in the room. He overhears her asking much of the same questions: if they have any pain, if they are thirsty, when was their last meal, if they are calm and comfortable.

For those in pain or who have open wounds, she uses her magic to heal them, holding her hands up close to the physical source, a bright light mesmerizing out of them as she works. It is not the same as the green healing aura that emits out of a Cure spell that all Keyblade wielders know (or from any other magic casters he’s seen). The color is nearly white instead.

And she does it effortlessly, almost like a thought, without having to pray for it or summon it vocally. Each time she does it, the dimness of the room brightens up just a little. It’s truly a special gift.

When she’s done, they head for the room directly next door: a small storage room with no windows, a row of cupboards, and a sink. Garnet drags a tall stool across to climb it, in order to store some things away.

Terra leans against the wall. “You are amazing with magic. It’s unique, where did you learn it from?”

Garnet stands straight as an arrow as she balances on the stool, almost as if she is aware that she may fall. She beckons Terra to hand her empty bottles. 

“My professor.” She smiles as her eyes travel into memory. “I’ve spent all of my youth in his library, with not much to do except to indulge myself in his works. He gifted me the use of magic... Of course, he was also good on his promise that I was to be presentable as a lady.”

He holds his hand out to help her balance. She hops off the stool.

“I was also in a library practically my whole life,” he says. “My Master ran an academy for Keyblade wielders.”

“And what did your mother think of this?” She reaches for a clipboard and writes in it, checking off an inventory list.

“My Master adopted me.” Terra chuckles, his cheeks warm. It’s one of the best memories of his life. “What about you? Did you have a mother?”

“No, I sprouted off some hole in the ground,” she says dryly, continuing her list as though she isn’t fazed by the question.

A nervous crackle - he didn’t realize it was such a poorly worded question. “I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

Garnet stops writing and dramatically turns to him with a grin on her face, touching the crystal that hangs off her neck. “This is my inheritance, from my mother.” She places the clipboard on the sink counter. “I do wonder about your own knowledge of magic. I know all Keyblade wielders can cast spells.”

“Yeah, and we’re each unique in how we mold it. But I’m not that good at traditional spells.”

“Yet you do know how to recognize skill with it. I beg to ask for the story behind that.”

He finds a chair and sits, rubbing his chin as a tight smile forms on his face.

“My best friend, Aqua.” It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue like it used to. He wonders if she’s really a best friend anymore, in the case that he ruined everything about the two of them. He forces this thought out of his mind. For now, it’s better to pretend that nothing’s changed. “She’s really spectacular with it.”

The day was cloudy and breezy - but not the kind that left the sky dark. When the sun wasn’t beating down on the mountains so harshly, he could see the coloring of the trees and the rivers far away even better in weather like this. They were taking a walk on some short ledges, where the terrain was particularly rocky. As long as they promised not to go too far (and as long as Terra promised to hold her hand so they wouldn’t separate), they could venture much farther than the gardens within the castle perimeters.

Aqua had been with them for a year now, and had just turned nine. For her last birthday, Eraqus gave her a pointy hat adorned with stars and moons (much like an old friend of his, he said at the time). A wizard’s hat, because she had expressed so much interest in learning magic. She wasn’t wearing it now. It instead rested on top of a giant book of basic spells that she wanted to drag around with her.

Right now, she was practicing cartwheels and backflips. She was slow to start them as she braced herself before the execution, but she gracefully landed each one with perfection. Or at least she made it look that way. Her long pigtails flicked before landing on her shoulders again with each presentation of athletic ability.

But that was the thing with her. Perfection. Always trying to get Eraqus to notice it. Always trying to make sure she got it right each and every time. It made him look bad. It was annoying.

Terra was ten years old. Two digits, that was. He was supposed to be proud, and he was supposed to be better naturally because he was older. “I can do that, too,” he scoffed.

“I never saw you do it well,” she retorted with a smirk.

Eraqus had tried to get him to understand that he really was much better than her at most things - fighting, memorizing what was in the books, doing chores, being adept in the outdoors. He had tried to tell Terra to allow her to be proud of her flexibility and mastery of her own body.

But that still made him lesser. Worse still, she admired Eraqus for being a Master. And he wanted her to admire him as well, because he worked hard for it. “You’ll eat your words.”

His cartwheel, according to her, looked like a frog trying to hop with its stubby forelegs. What followed was an attempt at throwing himself even harder so his legs would straighten out. He could already do handstands - cartwheels were different.

What came next was a flop onto the ground, a tumble off a rock, down one of those tiny ledges, and a roll against rough terrain. His reward was several scrapes all over his arms, and a horrible throbbing sting on his knee.

“You ok?” she called to him, and he held his knee as he grimaced and squirmed a bit, shaking his head. She ran down to him, one hand holding the hat on her head and the other arm draped over the book, which was as large as her torso.

“Can you stand?” she asked as she sat beside him.

“No.” His voice was meek and he sniffed. The scrape on his knee was large and bloody, and tiny rocks wedged into it that made it hurt more. He told himself to keep it together. He had fallen way too many times to count that normally it wasn’t a big deal.

But when he got really hurt, the worst that came was the lecture the Master would give him.

“Let me help.” She said that too excitedly, and she brushed her pigtails and straightened the hat. She laid the book on the ground and flipped through it until she got to a page displaying calligraphy. The chapter was titled ‘Basic Healing Spells.’ She whispered what she was reading to herself, before facing him. “How does it feel?”

“It burns and it stings.” He slowly rubbed the dirt off the scrape.

She continued to read off the book, but waiting for her did not help the pain go away.

“Can you hurry it up?” He held his hands tightly on each side of the knee, hoping that the pressure would ease it.

She put her hands on her hips. “Shush!”

He leaned on his hands while she continued reading, sighing. From the corner of his eye, he could see that she held a finger to her chin. It looked as though, just for a second, she was ready to cast the spell because she started to face him... only to go back to sticking her nose into the book.

The stinging was coming in waves, and he leaned forward a little. “Before I die, Aqua?”

She gave him a quick, severe glare. She hated that word. ‘Die.’

“Sorry,” he said. He tried to breathe deeply while she continued to read.

Then she was ready. He held his knee while she waved her hand over it. She called out “Cure!” but what came was a horrendous burn instead. The kind of burn that would bite when touching something icy.

She had cast Blizzard by accident. He screamed as the ice dug itself into his knee. She yelled her apologies multiple times as he whimpered in pain, until she held her hands to her eyes and cried.

This sight made him uncomfortable, but he couldn’t understand why. “Don’t cry,” he said shakily. “I’m fine, really.” He grunted and breathed sharply. It hurt really badly, but the crying was what he will remember. It just made him sad.

“Can I try again? Please?” She wiped the tears flowing from her face, sniffling.

He hesitated first before agreeing, this time dealing with the sharpness of what felt like a knife rubbing itself while giving her all the time she needed.

She hesitated to cast again. She closed her eyes, telling herself audibly to just relax, and then called for a Cure spell again. It felt soothing, and it was like the pain was just lifted off the knee by some angelic force.

Relief. His arms went loose as he dropped onto his back, relaxing into the grass, gazing up at the clouds.

“I did it!” She laid on the ground next to him. She flashed a huge toothy smile, her face marked by dry tear streaks.

Garnet holds her hand to her mouth, almost in a way that gives him the impression that laughing as hard as she is would be considered unladylike. “She sounds brilliant,” she says.

“She is,” he says softly, his heart pumping as these words leave his mouth.

“Describe her to me.”

He gives her a wide-eyed stare, not knowing how to interpret such a request. “Um, well she has blue hair and blue eyes.”

Garnet, once sporting a smile, straightened her mouth into a line as she rolls her lips inward. “I was hoping for a more dramatized, romantic kind of description.” When he looks at her confused, she continues. “Much like what you would hear at a theater.”

He chuckles sharply. It isn’t exactly pleasant to have everyone around him read his feelings so easily, especially when he isn’t trying to be so blatant about them.

He considers a daydream of Aqua standing next to him. He would hold her close and kiss her in all the ways he was terrified to do before, because it kills him to wait longer. Because he should muster up the courage that he struggled with all these years, since she is still the one person who frightens him the most.

And yet, either way, he isn’t a romantic. “I don’t think I can do that.”

“You can start by comparing her to a symbol of your choice.” Garnet’s smile widens, her voice warm and encouraging. Hoping for entertainment.

At first he thinks about the unique way Aqua fights. It’s always mesmerizing to watch. “She dances when she fights. She... sometimes she’ll jump in the air and hit her enemies with a lot of...” What kind of person dances in the air? “It’s like looking at a ma-rio-nette.” The last word comes out rigid, as though he has tried to stop himself in the middle of it but he was too far into the word to be successful. Stupid.

Garnet’s brows furrow and her eyes narrow. “That was dreadful.”

“Can I try again?”

She holds up one finger, and he takes his time to think about it, going through several comparisons in his mind. His heart flutters, and finds himself wanting to get it right this time. He begins slowly, “Her eyes are like shallow ocean water, on a bright sunny day.”

Garnet claps her hands together. “That was so lovely.”

He laughs nervously as he runs his fingers through his hair. Not knowing what to say, he sits silently as she continues to gush about his words.

The clock strikes ten. Garnet’s laughter turns off, and she holds one hand to her heart, as if she’s monitoring how hard it’s beating.

When the clock is finished, a loud siren goes off. It blares loudly until it fades, only for it sway into a high-pitched scream again. Repeat. Garnet closes her eyes as it continues to weave back and forth into their consciousness, whispering to Terra that it’s a signal for a strict curfew - though most know to be in their homes by now.

When it’s over, she slowly opens her eyes, forcing a smile. “Come along, Terra. We mustn’t fear the reaper.”

The streets are completely empty except for the volunteers making their way into the third district, which is located several blocks from the hotel. It’s an incredibly modern area, where electric lights and fountains are fully utilized in its architecture. Riku tells Terra that this area has been recently quarantined. Normally, they choose territories farther away, but the more people go missing, the more Heartless will stick around in those previous battlegrounds. The numbers prove too much during an intense ten-minute fight. All the residents previously living in the third district have been evacuated.

In the corners of the block that will be the battle site, there are stacked cartridges, filled with ammunition for energy guns, offensive potions, first aid supplies, healing potions and smoke bombs. There are also small electric bombs placed high on a few of the buildings, and Terra is told to keep his distance from them.

Some people are even tasked with battering rams. Overall, it seems like the scientific team in Radiant Garden has spent a number of hours supplying the faction here with weapons. But what is most surprising of all is that there seems to be about forty people there, just to fight one Heartless.

They approach one of the hubs where some cartridges are stacked, where Hope is doing a final check-up.

“What are you doing here?” Terra asks him, surprised that they allow someone so young in such a dangerous arena.

“I’m a mage,” Hope says in a matter-of-fact way. He sounds nervous, but not enough to be intimated by the question. Almost as if he knows he has to be there. “I’m nowhere near as good as the others.” He gestures towards Noctis, Garnet, and Rydia, who are standing together in the middle of block, deep into a conversation that is impossible to eavesdrop from where they stand. Hope then turns quickly to Terra in an attempt to justify his words. “B-but I heal really well.”

Doesn’t this mean that he would be a target for Kefka? “Aren’t you scared?”

“Of course, we all are.” Hope scatters his sight on the clipboard in his hands. “This isn’t my first fight. I have survived the others, so I can survive this one.” He nods. These words are more for his own sake than for comforting Terra’s worry.

Hope then invites Terra to walk with him, and they approach Rydia, who is gazing into the electric lights as if she is studying them. She is holding her biceps like she is giving herself a hug, her long sleeves barely touching the ground. She gives them a tense smile, and reaches her arm out to embrace Hope.

“You ready for this?” she asks the boy.

“You ask me that every time.” He accepts the hug, and seems to relax when she places her hand on his head.

“And like every time, it won’t be an easy night.” She smiles widely at Terra. “But we have Terra for now. Maybe we’ll have it luckier.”

It’s such a warming thought that Terra feels his stomach swell. “That’s what I’m here for. We’ll both look out for you.” He ruffles through Hope’s hair, and it makes the boy smile.

Hope then hands Noctis his clipboard, which the latter places on top of several others. There are so many burning questions about what’s going on that Terra can’t help but speak out about them - against Garnet’s warning not to.

“I notice that the streets are empty. It seems like everyone else is hiding in their homes. Why face Kefka if you can just hide out?” Terra asks, trying his best to sound respectful, certain that they’ve all tried different scenarios in dealing with this situation.

Noctis’ jaw tenses before he speaks. “If no one’s outside to greet it, it will just destroy random buildings and crush everyone inside.” His tone is incredibly serious and raw. When he sees how shocked Terra is, he continues. “It’s a clown. It wants an audience.”

There is such contempt and anger in his tone that it’s undeniable. Regardless, Cid, who is passing by as this is said, loudly clears his throat and barked a “That’s highly inappropriate.” Noctis returns the statement with a glare so severe that if it had powers, it would have killed him.

Terra doesn’t know what to say in return, and a part of him wishes he never asked. How often did they experiment to learn something like that? Something on his face must have given his guilt away, because Noctis continues after a moment of silence.

“Those were some painful experiences. I remember being so scared every other night.” He flips a page on the clipboard. “The surprises always hit us the hardest, and when we lost the most.” He’s been at the same page for so long that it’s possible he stopped reading. “We’ve been fighting it for so long now that it seems like we know everything there is to know. And yet, sometimes, I still ask myself the same question: what if tonight is one where we will learn something new about it, and we aren’t prepared?”

Terra has been holding his fist, not realizing that he’s doing so. It’s not an easy subject to reply to. “I’m sure if you know everything about it, then tonight should go smoothly.” Is that an insensitive statement?

Noctis scoffs. “As smoothly as it could ever be.”

“Oy, we need to take the picture!” Garnet calls out to the two of them, and Noctis promptly agrees. He does it so quickly it’s as if the photograph is the most important event of the night.

Hope is setting up a camera that stands on a tripod, and Rydia makes a motion where she holds one open palm up and brushes it with her fingers. “This thing is amazing. It can create little paintings that have no brush strokes,” she says to Terra. The joy she is emanating is sincere, a rare source of light in such a tense night.

Rydia then calls out to other members that Terra has met, ordering him to stand in the middle since he’s the tallest. She tells Garnet and Hope specifically to stand in front of him (Hope replies that he’s still preparing the camera). Rydia stands to Terra’s right and rests her hand on his shoulder. Riku is beside her. Noctis stands to Terra’s left, with Cid by his side.

Noctis briefly pats Terra’s shoulder and says, “Welcome to the fam.”

Garnet turns, holding her fingers to her chin and pronouncing out a ‘Fam?’

Hope says that the camera is ready and rushes to his position while Garnet briskly faces the camera again and prepares her posture. Terra makes it a point to hold both of their shoulders, and gives a smile as the camera flashes.

As soon as it’s over, Hope scurries to pick up the tripod and runs to put it away. The group huddles around in a circle, waiting for him to come back. Garnet holds out her hand toward the center of the circle. Rydia places her hand on top, followed by Cid and Riku, and lastly by Hope. Noctis nods to Terra as if to invite him in, and he only rests his own when Terra complies.

“We’re here for another night,” Noctis says, his voice cracking. “And the only reason why I’m still whole, and why you’re all here, is because of all the friends we’ve lost. We’ll give them the remembrance they deserve. We’ll fight this thing, and tonight will be the one where we can finally breathe because it will be all over. I’m immensely proud to fight alongside all of you.” Even through a glove, Terra can feel the young leader’s hand tremble. 

Hope hesitates to speak, but does so anyway. “Here’s to many more nights where we can be together.”

Noctis chuckles. “That’s something Sora would say.”

Riku nods in agreement. “We should call him our mascot next time he’s here.”

Hope laughs at the suggestion, his eyes beaming. In some ways, imitating Sora seems to bring out the best in him.

Noctis takes a breath. “Be safe, everyone.” And he lets go. Everyone else situates into some pre-determined position, and Riku leads Terra to stand out in the open, behind the leader of the group. Garnet stands staggered behind them.

“You, me, and Noct will be the heavy hitters,” Riku says. “The others will support us from behind. You should know that Kefka carries six swords on its back. They are all deadly poisonous.”

“Lovely.”

“It will also freeze at some point and blow out a toxic gas - also fatal.”

Terra breathes out quickly. “Anything else I should know?”

“When it eventually materializes, cover your ears. Once the clock’s done chiming, it’s showtime.”

Riku leaves his side to find a position with some distance between them, and summons his Keyblade. Garnet holds a shortstaff in both her hands, and brings up the orb that sits on the tip of it to her forehead while whispering a spell. It glows, and a spinning crystal covers every individual on that block before completely disappearing. If Terra focuses on the space in front of him, he can see tiny sparkling particles.

The protection spell.

Hope brings out a large boomerang and holds his stance directly behind Terra, standing the farthest behind. Rydia pulls out a whip and waits by a manhole that is releasing a misty cloud. Cid readies a spear, and holds his place by the volunteers, his job to order them during the fight. The rest of the volunteers are ready with their energy guns, and explosive potions. The battering rams are set. Noctis stands the farthest forward as the leader, not holding any weapon but looking up, as if he is expecting someone tall.

The clock strikes eleven. No words are uttered. Terra summons his Keyblade and holds it close. Everyone around him keeps a lookout.

Eleven.

The bubbling sound that signals the appearance of a Heartless is deep this time, and a large black mass immediately forms right after the last chime. A tall, colorful, humanoid stomps onto the ground, and the entire area shakes.

It laughs. A mechanical laugh that sounds like it’s coming from a speaker, but it is so high-pitched that it feels as though Terra’s head is being crushed inside a metal crusher. He holds his head and yells out loud, hearing everyone else yell out as well.

Then it starts. Kefka is nine feet tall at least. Its joints are bolted, its limbs thin. It wears a ridiculous clown costume, with the black and red insignia that signifies its existence as a Heartless large on its chest. The colors on the costume are a sickly combustion of yellows, purples, greens, and reds, with a bright white ruffle collar that is pointed at the ends. Its shoes are mismatched.

It’s especially ugly in the face - it dons a white mask with red painted lines that mark its mouth and eyes, screwed onto the face. The teeth that are drilled into a permanent smile are sharp. The skin right around its bright yellow eyes are charcoal black. It is topped off with a garish feather sticking out of its hair. There are six swords, three behind each shoulder, which are as thin as needles.

Noctis summons a broadsword the first moment he gets and throws it at Kefka. He disappears. The sword flies into the air, and right before Kefka can block it, Noctis re-appears in the air and reclaims his weapon. He warps from various spots in the air as he strikes Kefka’s arms, which are up in defense. He strikes, then warps. Repeat. This process keeps him the air and makes him a difficult target for Kefka to grab.

The other volunteers start to open fire, aiming at its face. At first glance, the battle doesn’t seem too bad. Kefka seems slow to react, casting its gaze around as if dazed by all the violence directed at it. Then it sweeps an arm - a movement so quick that it can’t be predicted considering how long it takes for the clown to think. A group of men are thrown back. An explosion. It then tries to blast Noctis, who throws his sword onto the roof of a faraway building and warps there.

Garnet juggles between following Noctis in order to stay close to him and casting her white healing spells toward the people just injured. Rydia holds her hands ahead of her, chanting as the mist from the manhole solidifies.

Out from the mist flies a silver dragon. Riku jumps onto it, taking a ride across the sky. Cid yells some orders and runs around the clown while Terra follows.

At this point, Kefka is skipping around the block, its hands behind its back. Any time a person throws an explosive or shoots at it, its retaliation is tremendous and widespread. It stops. It dances, waving its arms. Explosions appear at random. There are plenty of sporadic cries, and men barking more orders. Hope makes laps as he he tries to heal anyone caught in the foray.

The dragon spreads a thick fog to hide some of the straggling volunteers as they carry out the injured from the immediate battlefield. Riku takes the right moment to jump off of it, striking Kefka from the top. Terra runs in an attempt to strike its legs - this is the perfect opportunity to trip it, considering that it is striding so casually in one direction.

Kefka shudders a moment. It makes an about-face and runs the opposite way, and Terra misses it.

The Heartless drags Riku its in hand before slamming him into the ground. The six swords float outward and Kefka makes a sweeping motion to strike Riku in a rush. He uses his Keyblade to block each one. The Heartless then waves in the opposite direction, the swords following suit. Noctis warps behind the clown’s head and makes several strikes. Rydia casts bombardments of fireballs and icebergs to push it back and away from the teenage Keyblade wielder. Her dragon comes and picks Riku from the ground, taking him to Garnet for healing.

The Heartless freezes for a moment, slowly turning to face Noctis. There is a widening of its eyes, as if Noctis’ strike is the most offensive out of everything else that is happening.

It doesn’t like its face or its head being touched.

“Let’s get him at the ankles!” Terra calls out to Cid, with the latter aiming to throw his spear. Terra strikes the ground, shattering the concrete and tripping Kefka some before it could attack Noctis. It doesn’t come down to its knees, but it eyes Terra. It stares as him as he sends shockwaves of light to attack it, its smile plastered.

It grabs Terra, too quick for him to dodge. It squeezes, and purple strikes of electricity engulf him, making the protection crystal around him visible as he screams from the pain.

Then it throws him before sending a dark blast of its own against him, shooting out from its palm. He hears what sounds like glass shattering as he lands onto the ground.

Terra can’t hear anything. Any voices are muffled and indecipherable. His vision is blurred, and he feels dizzy enough that he can’t feel anything. No pain. No fear. He just needs to stand up. But what for? He forgets where he is, and just wants to move. Just to figure out where he is so he can decide what to do. Just move, dammit.

His vision clears a bit. His face feels wind on it, his hair blowing. Right in front of him, rocks are floating. Gently spinning in the air. He’s like a feather, levitating above the ground as well.

He should have been face down on the ground.

When he realizes this, he falls flat onto himself, the rocks falling alongside him. There is pain in every muscle, and he’s twitching.

There are glows of green, literally pulling some of the pain out of him, and leaving behind a comforting warmth.

“You ok?” Hope calls out. The healer runs up to Terra, and helps him up. He continues to heal the Keyblade Wielder by gesticulating wide circles, so that Terra can start to be fixed all over. He mumbles to Hope that he’s fine, although he’s still dizzy. He isn’t sure what he just saw.

Some of the buildings have been destroyed and are up in flames. More bodies, uncertain if dead or alive, are being carried out of the area. Kefka is jumping around and twirling, making it difficult for Noctis to land a hit. Some of the volunteers wait until their opportunity, and run the battering ram right into the clown. They push it against a building, and a bomb goes off, knocking it forward onto the ground.

Terra hears a voice: “Darkness!”

Riku, covered in a purple aura, charges ahead to pick a sword fight with the fallen clown. The power gives him an edge in speed. He attempts to strike it in the face - the one place Kefka is most protective of. Riku hits furiously, following each with another. Kefka bellows a tremendous screech, which sounds like gears rubbing against each other in super speed.

It’s loud and worse than a nail scratch. Everyone close to the clown, including Riku, run as fast as they can away from it. Hope grabs Terra by the wrist and tries to get him as far back as possible.

From its neck and its joints a purple gas blows out, which flies far out and floats into the sky. No one is near it when this happens, and all wait until it dissipates before approaching again, giving the clown plenty of time to pick itself up and skip around. Another dance, another set of random explosions.

Terra, breathing heavily, readies his stance for when Kefka passes by him - although it’s difficult to do so. The pain may have been healed, but he is still unable to lift his heavy Ends of the Earth with confidence. He curses at himself for being weak. Hope stands by him, bracing for whatever Terra is silently planning in his mind. Maybe to heal him again. I can do this. I’ll trip him when he comes...

Should I use darkness this time? What if I turn against the others?

A sword is thrown up against Kefka’s cheek. It doesn’t even scar or leave a mark, but Noctis appears anyway, aiming just for the face. Kefka laughs, and it hurts every ounce of Terra’s head. It’s the worst headache he’s ever had.

When he comes to, Noctis is struggling to stand up, collapsed against a wall. Kefka prepares an energy blast in its palm. Garnet rushes and slides onto her knees, putting herself between Noctis and Kefka. She holds her shortstaff, the orb glowing. An intense pillar of light shoots upward from the ground, making everything shake. It sends a loud swoop before it swallows itself, and the light is gone.

It is enough to send the clown backward.

With his arm around Garnet, Noctis throws his sword towards the entrance of the third district, where all the injured are gathered. He dissipates, and she is carried through the air before being dropped behind the cartridges. She holds her sides, as if tired and in pain, unable to stand straight without leaning on someone else.

Rydia throws more fireballs, each one larger than the previous one. She engulfs Riku’s Keyblade in flames, and he rides her dragon again in another attempt to hit Kefka where it hurts. It blocks his attempts, and it ravages the dragon with a dark forcewave, throwing it aside along with its rider. Kefka rules its swords as they twirl around it, aiming it to make sweeping motions against the female mage. A boomerang hits the clown on the back of the head.

The clown hits Hope directly with a dark blast from its palm. The crystal around the boy becomes visible and shatters. He slumps on the ground.

Kefka laughs and everyone screams. It skips away.

Terra scuffles to Hope, who is still breathing. He cradles him in his arms. “You’re going to be okay,” he says. “I know a little bit of healing magic.” (It is true, but he’s not in the position to heal such a terrible injury.)

Hope writhes in pain, his eyes darting in every direction. He grabs Terra by the arm, and nearly scratches him because the grip is so desperate. “Don’t let me go to sleep,” he begs, a tear falling.

His breathing is sporadic, but it slows to a restful state. His eyes close. A warm pink-orange glow shines from out of his chest. 

Eraqus has always told them that touching a heart is forbidden, for it can cause irreversible harm. There is Hope’s heart, floating in the air. It looks bright, and Terra aims to grab it with both his hands but stops himself. It turns dark before disappearing, Hope’s body evaporating along with it. In his mind, it happens so slowly, cursing himself because he lost the chance to grab the heart and put it back. Even though it occurred over seconds.

“He’s too young,” he says softly. No one is close enough to hear him. He stares at his lap, where Hope was just laying. 

Ahead of him is Rydia, who witnessed it. Her face contorts into fury. She casts lightning, with a power so forceful that it spreads all over the area. It chaotically flies in every direction, hitting the clown. Thunder strikes when her magic marks her target, clapping several times.

She continues to send lightning against the Heartless, making it shake. Kefka walks in resistance against her casting, taking its time with every step. It keeps getting close to her, its swords floating behind it, and she can’t hold it back anymore.

Terra, silent tears coming down his own face, grunts and summons his armor. Just let the dark heat take over. Let it bring life back into his muscles. Let it give him the strength to wield his giant Keyblade. Curse this Heartless. Curse Xehanort for making it possible for it to exist.

He sprints forward, striking an ankle so hard that the monster actually trips to its knees. Shatter the ground. Strike its swords directly, strong enough to hold back the pressure that the clown is pushing against him. Send shockwaves of black and purple to damage the Heartless.

Kefka blasts him directly. If it weren’t for the armor, he would have been suffering the same fate as Hope. He is thrown against a wall behind him. Even with the armor for protection, being thrown this hard against such metal makes him ache. He is on his knees, breathing deeply into his helmet. He needs to get up. He needs to defend himself from the next energy blast that the Heartless is preparing for him.

He hears the crack of a whip. Rydia strikes the clown in the face, although she doesn’t scar it. She whips it a second time. A third, a fourth. She mouths spells as she summons a large fireball. Kefka grabs one of its swords and prepares to brush it across her. She hits the Heartless first.

Kefka steps through her fire, and swipes the sword across her, breaking her protection.

Then stabs her with it.

She stumbles backward, holding her oblique. Unable to get up, she looks up to the clown, and relaxes. Not because she is passing out. Not because she is too weak. It is much like the exact moment where a lamb knows that it’s too late to strive for life. She closes her eyes and waits for whatever it will do next.

Terra hates the clown more. He sprints in front of her and calls for another shockwave, throwing Kefka backwards and onto its back. He stays by Rydia, but instead of waiting for the clown to retaliate, he prepares a mass of darkness. It swirls and flickers around him, and he feels his Keyblade throbbing with the power. This is the end. I will destroy you.

Kefka stands up and stares at Terra. A swirl of darkness surrounds it and it disappears.

Terra looks toward the clock tower. Ten minutes past eleven. Terra shakes hard enough that the armor makes noises. He yells, because the darkness makes his head hurt so damn much. He pulls his helmet off. It’s so hot, and he’s sweating, but the exposure to the outside air doesn’t cool his face. I have to stay in control. I need to let this darkness go.

The pain is so bad that he cries out in half-breaths. He can still see the traces of smoke emanating through the cracks of his armor. He loses all feeling in his limbs.

“Are you alright?”

He looks up to see Garnet rushing as fast she can while she stumbles. She kneels in front of him. “Where does it hurt?” she asks.

“H-headache.” It’s too difficult to talk. Am I losing control of my mouth?

She holds her hand out by his temple. A warm white light, a pure light, and the pain slowly fades away. He can lift his limbs, and he stops trembling. His breathing steadies.

Garnet gently squeezes his wrist. “I saw what happened,” she says solemnly. “I must tend to the wounded, but I’ll be sure to add him to the list.” She gets up and meets with other people, including Riku, who are down on the ground as well.

The list. A same type of list that Aerith and Tifa collect to count how many people turn into Heartless after the end of a swarm. A pile of former identities. As time passes by, it’s only faces that are lost in the throws of it. Hope’s face.

“This looks bad,” he hears Cid say behind him. Noctis cradles Rydia in his arms, who has her hands up. She’s quivering with such a force that Cid has to be the one to carry her.

“Can you get up?” Riku limps over to Terra. “We are going to have a long night. There are always Heartless that pop up everywhere when Kefka’s been around. Including the hotel.”

Terra leans on his Keyblade to stand up. Garnet will come back after taking care of more immediate injuries to heal the both of them more, so they can be in better shape for the upcoming hours.

Some people are being carried in stretchers. Others have their arms draped on those strong enough to help them walk. Some are left behind for now - the unlucky ones who haven’t escaped this specific slaughterhouse. It’s just one that exists among the thousands of stars out there, each of them marked by Xehanort as his personal experiment.

Lambs for his needs, and Keyblade wielders as his tools.

For those of you who would like some references as to who these FF characters are. I added photos first and then some videos that suits their personalities:

Noctis (x) (x) (yep I’m cheap) Garnet (x) (x) (skip ahead to 4:19 for the vid) Rydia (x) (x) (that was difficult - this game was re-made for the DS) Hope (x) (x) (hard to find one without context or melodrama) Kefka (x) (x) (had to include his classic laugh)

#terraqua #terqua #kingdom hearts fanfiction #kh fanfic #terra #aqua #riku #garnet til alexandros #noctis lucis caelum #rydia of mist #hope estheim #cid #kefka palazzo #oh my this is finally out #i can't believe i have written this chapter #i've been daydreaming about this for MONTHS #and it's finally existing #my fic

[secret-engima]

Okay, but may I also point out that it's awfully convenient that Ardyn has hallucinations that push him into the 'right' direction to fulfill bahamut's prophecy when we've seen that Bahamut is very competent with illusions (Aera stabbing Ardyn, anyone?) And even more convenient that in that one hallucination of aera where she tells him to kill her (which, excuse me what) she tells him it's all because she defied the gods? Way to 'subtly' tell ardyn to do what the gods say or else 'aera'

Hmmmm hmmmmmmm okay. So ... yes you have a point, and I know that in Dawn of the Future the whole deal is Bahamut being the final boss but like-

I do NOT see it that way? Never have. I ... I get where they’re coming from and I’m sure they pulled it off awesomely, but I’ve never seen Bahamut has outright malicious or cruel or manipulative or the bad guy (until Square Enix tried to shove it in my face in a VERY hamfisted cutscene that also throws a huge plothole into the Kingsglaive thanks a lot Squeenix way to rip apart your own lore and timeline).

Lemme explain my POV (gonna stick it under Read More because oh boy is this long).

One- Ardyn is an unreliable narrator. Ardyn is THE unreliable narrator. He’s not only been chilling in total isolation for 2k years (which is seriously bad for human mental health) he’s infected with Starscourge, which is known to make its victims mindless and permanently screamingly furious at EVERYTHING. His memories are not reliable, his grip on REALITY is not reliable. He could STRAIGHT UP NOT BE HEARING what Bahamut is actually saying when they converse, or his mental state is twisting it to a malicious/cruel bent when it isn’t really and we would have no way to know for sure because we only ever see this particular scene from ARDYN’S POV.

On the hallucinations- I really, truly believe it’s the Starscourge doing that, even the Aera things, except MAYBE MAYBE the one where she stabs him, but you only get that ending after Ardyn basically tells Bahamut, the guy in charge of guarding the world, that he’s going to intentionally go BURN THE WORLD and imma get back to that in a minute on why I think it’s not even Aera doing the stabbing.

Anyway, on the Starscourge, which really is the lynchpin to the whole story- it is ... how do I put this. In the INTEREST of the Scourge to make sure it’s hosts are always angry, always crazy, always lashing out and infecting others. That’s how it WORKS. Daemons are mindlessly furious and hungry and infect any animal or human they come across. Now, for most, once the transformation is complete that’s it, memories are gone and hate is all that remains but not ALWAYS and not just Ardyn.

Going back to the Naga and her baby thing- it does not matter what you say to her, she IS going to attack you. She IS going to think you stole her baby and are lying if you say anything otherwise. It literally doesn’t matter what you say, it doesn’t matter that Prompto is not a baby and definitely not HER baby, or that Prompto is RIGHT THERE when she asks “where is my baby?”. She’s stuck in a loop of “baby-gone-baby-missing-find-my-baby-make-themPAYWHEREISMYBABY” basically. You can’t even know if she’s HEARING what you’re actually saying, or some twisted version that makes her think you’re lying. So she attacks, and attacking means a chance of infecting, which means spreading the Scourge and making it stronger. It is REALLY CONDUCIVE for the Scourge to have some kind of hallucinogenic effect that twists reality to being against you and being something deserving lashing out at and this would apply even more strongly to Bahamut and Bahamut’s magic (LC and Oracle) ie the one thing that can stop the spread of the Scourge. Not to imply sentience, cause I’m not really saying that, but any virus/organism/WHATEVER if it’s alive it’s going to try to multiply and the Scourge multiplies through infection via ATTACK.

And since it’s already in there, wrecking brain chemistry of the victim, wrecking it in a way that twists up what is being said or acted or even seen is 100% plausible.

This is strengthened by the fact that ARDYN CAN DO ILLUSIONS. I can’t recall atm if Bahamut EVER directly uses illusions, but Ardyn? We seem him use them multiple times. He uses them on that train to make us think we’re chasing him and not Prompto, then again to make us think we’re fighting alongside Prompto rather than Ardyn, again to make us SHOVE PROMPTO OFF A TRAIN and lastly to make us think a dead MT is actually an unconscious Prompto until we get close enough. Heck, even his Scourge-face thing is probably him just dropping an illusion of normalcy rather than any kind of transformation. We SEE the Scourge do crazy realistic, reality-warping illusions. It’s not LC magic because Regis and Noctis never use anything even close to similar and no historical LC is mentioned as an illusionist. But Ardyn? Ardyn is the only fully sentient Daemon ever, if anyone could take the Scourge’s natural inclination to create illusions to warp the perception of the infected and instead warp the perception of others it would be him.

So this means while ARDYN is hearing “this was always your fate, do this or suffer more torment” what Bahamut is actually saying could easily be more along the lines of an aloof, only vaguely apologetic “so this happened and I can’t fix it” (remember, the Crystal, Bahamut’s nexus of power, could not purify Ardyn even BEFORE he daemonified Ifrit, so of course Bahamut can’t help) “but if you wait, the Chosen King is coming soon and he’ll fix everything and give you peace and also get to avenge you by killing the Scourge through your death, so just wait until he comes to cure you and let you pass on to the afterlife”.

I really, really don’t think Bahamut’s plan involved creating an Accursed sacrificial lamb. It doesn’t make SENSE. The point was to kill the Scourge, even when Bahamut is the final boss in Dawn of the Future (from what I read on the wiki anyway) Bahamut is basically going “the Scourge can’t spread if everything is DEAD”. Why would he wait and manipulate events to make Ardyn Even More Of A Problem then the one he already has on hand when he could have just ... let Ardyn take out the Scourge in its early stages??? It is very, very likely Ardyn’s infection is TWISTING the intent of Bahamut’s words or even the words themselves to make Ardyn fight back against the one thing that could stop the Scourge from spreading.

As for the “Aera stabbing scene” again, Ardyn just said “I’mma burn the world” to Bahamut’s face, of course punishment is involved, but it is also very likely that it’s not AERA doing the punishing. Bahamut has never hesitated to come smite people in person before (see Bahamut vs Ifrit and Bahamut vs Ifrit round 2) so at worst it’s probably just like- one of Bahamut’s Messengers doing the punishment stabbing because Ardyn JUST MADE HIMSELF THE ENEMY. This isn’t a torture of a disobedient sacrificial lamb, it’s tactically weakening an enemy who just rejected your hand of sorta-alliance and also minutes ago tried to kill the Chosen King’s dad before your Chosen King could be born.

But Ardyn’s brain, which has already hallucinated Somnus taunting him in the place of freaking out Kingsglaives mind you, is putting Aera there because that’s what will make Ardyn the angriest, that’s what will make him lash out the most. The same goes for Aera telling Ardyn to kill her because she defied the gods, what better way to direct Ardyn’s fury at the one thing that could stop the Scourge than to BLAME THE DEATH OF ARDYN’S LOVER on them? And for either of these, Bahamut wouldn’t even know it’s happening or why it’s significant, because Bahamut doesn’t ... GET humans and that leads into my second point:

Why I think Bahamut isn’t actually a horrible, intentionally cruel dude:

Okay so- I do not condone a lot of the stuff Bahamut chooses, because hey I like Noctis and Ardyn too and yeah Bahamut’s plan sucks and could have been way better from our POV, but I genuinely do not see him as malicious or manipulative in this. Not like Dawn of the Future, Episode Ardyn, or some fanfic authors make him out to be (for all that’s a very valid position and can be excellently written) and here’s WHY.

Bahamut is not human. For all he can speak to humans and is humanoid in shape he IS NOT HUMAN. He does not think like a human, he does not perceive time like a human, his POV is entirely alien to humans. Ifrit and Shiva were the closest to humans because they intentionally tried to figure them out, but even THEY don’t get humans entirely, for all Ifrit used to love them and Shiva still does. Bahamut on the other hand, never had or took that chance. He’s the big picture guy, the head of the pantheon. He’s in charge of keeping the entire freaking planet from being killed somehow, which is why he stepped in and was the final one of the five to kill Ifrit the first time and not, say, our local cranky sea snek of pure rage.

Bahamut isn’t cruel, he just genuinely does not understand that his plan is messed up. Worse, at his core, he’s a Strategist without an emotional anchor or someone to keep him in moral check. It’s either Fanon or actual canon that he’s the Astral of War, and while War can be a lot of things, in mythology a “god of war” is usually one of two things: rage monster or STRATEGIST. The one in charge of making the hard choices. The one who looks at the battlefield and says “if I do nothing, all my men and the people I protect will die. If I move these two units in to attack the enemy flank, a lot of those men in those units will die BUT it will confuse the enemy into letting me defeat them with the main force, thereby saving the majority of my force and everyone I’m protecting”. Minimal losses for maximum gain. It’s not nice, it’s not pretty, maybe it isn’t even moral, but war is a lot of things and moral tends not to be one of them, so that kind of strategy is NECESSARY in certain moderation.

Now, the Astrals can’t fix the Scourge, likely because their war with Ifrit not only robbed them of a key member (recall that in most mythology fire is PURIFICATION) but also severely weakened them. They went to sleep for a reason, they were trying to recoup their lost power. But when it takes so long to recharge and the Scourge keeps getting worse in the meantime, it’s a war of attrition the Astrals could win, but humanity and the planet wouldn’t so another method is needed. Bahamut doesn’t know humans, and considering their role in Ifrit’s fall (aka the start of the whole Astrals Can’t Fix This issue) he has no reason to trust their teamwork or obedience skills. The one time he DOES in the form of Somnus and Ardyn … well. Look what happens.

So, Bahamut has to make a plan to save the world. He does not understand how humans think, he does not TRUST humans enough to be anything more than temporary troops at best, and he needs to do something. So in his mind- either he can let the world burn, or he can sacrifice 116 (counting Ardyn and Luna) humans to a plan that will save the world and only requires most of those humans to be essentially living batteries. It doesn’t matter what the Lucii did in life, after death their magic went into the Crystal, no responsibility or teamwork necessary. The only two who need to Do A More Complicated Job is Noctis, who needs to gather power and then sit on a chair and die, and Luna, who needs to wake up the other Astrals. That’s it. 116 people and the world’s simplest instructions (to an Astral anyway) and boom, entire planet and billions of lives are saved. Billions of lives Bahamut is in charge of guarding, billions who he knows just as well (or in this case just as not well) as the LCs and Oracles. People living and loving and hoping and dying all in the same blinks of time as the LCs that we love but to Bahamut are just - strangers. Useful strangers. But strangers.

To summarize, Bahamut is stuck in the world’s biggest version of that railway switch scenario in Psychology class: If there are five people stuck on one railway track and one person stuck on the other, and a speeding train set to kill all five, would you stand back and let the five die or would you flip the switch to the alternate track and sentence the other one person to death? Only in Bahamut’s case it’s: will you sentence 116 people to live and die for a prophecy (past Oracles don’t count as they don’t expressly need to die for the Prophecy, they aren’t even living batteries, only Luna needs to die for the cause) to save billions across multiple generations to stop a plague, or will you sit back and watch as they ALL die.

And that’s not even touching on the Time thing where, to Bahamut, this entire plan might not even TAKE that long. Sure to humans it’s 2k years and however many people getting turned into daemons, but in the original plan (Ardyn being Chosen King) that wouldn’t have happened and in this backup plan (Noctis being Chosen King) what to us is centuries could, for Bahamut easily be closer to an annoying but expected wait in the doctor’s office. He sentenced Gilgamesh to wait until the coming of the Last Shield but considering how long the Astrals live and have lived that’s easily just the world’s most stern and aggressive Time Out to his eyes, especially since the whole “living on in a suit of armor rather than original body” means very little to beings who can and have been shown to react to death by sighing, making new bodies, and then going about their day like usual. Those thousands, maybe millions, who die to the Scourge in the meantime? Well no he doesn’t like it, but there is still X billions of living humans he needs to safeguard and it’s not HIS fault that Chosen King One went and got himself infected and then stabbed by his brother now is it? Ardyn comes to him all infected and crazy and Bahamut is essentially going “I can’t fix this and you were supposed to be Chosen King but now you’re the Accursed. Bright Side, you can still find peace in the afterlife and have the bonus of taking the Starscourge out with you (Vengeance is, after all, one of the few things humans and Astrals share a concept of). All you have to do is let the new Chosen King stab you.” He’s just saying it in the vaguest, nastiest, I-will-not-admit-that-my-plan-blew-up-in-my-face way that the Scourge then twisted to an outright “this was my plan all along now do your job and die stupid mortal” kinda way.

So … yeah stupid long ramble but TD:LR the Starscourge shows illusionary and manipulation powers far more often and more thoroughly than Bahamut ever did and while it is Totally Valid and Plausible that Bahamut is a terrible, manipulative person, he has and always will strike me more as a non-human Strategist trying to do his job and being Really Arrogant and Vague about it when his plan goes off the rails and he needs to resort to Plan 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Of course, if Manipulative Bad Guy Bahamut makes more sense to you then cool. But this is just the perspective I take in like- all my ffxv AUs and I felt the need to finally put it out there since the topic finally came up.

#SE asks #anon asks #Secret Engima Rambles #SE theorizes #i hope i don't lose followers for this #but like #this version is so much more interesting #the thought that all the tragedy #is really a series of accidents #mistakes #and miscommunications #hurts so much more #has so much more POTENTIAL #then just a 'blargh i'm an evil corrupt astral manipulating things for lols'

[mathclasswarfare]

Final Fantasy XV- a possible ending- part 1 of 4

Acknowledgments:

I borrowed (or outright stole) several ideas for this from these other fan works:

By @puddingcatbae : if i'm a little more complete, it's all because of you and i wanna be the place you call your home.

By @asidian : The Way They Were  and Days to Remember.

Thank you both for your wonderful works. 

I also owe credit to Homer, Frank Herbert, and China Mieville.

PART 1

***It’s the end of the game, “present time,” outside the Citadel***

The rosy fingers of dawn reach up from the horizon. Light is returning to the world. A daemon dissipates into a cloud of ash and blows away in the wake of a swinging greatsword. Prompto, realizing that there is nothing left to shoot, looks up at the sky and drops to his knees.

“He’s done it! We- we’ve done it! It’s done. . . Noct. . . He’s . . ." Prompto, one hand on the ground, another clutching at his chest, sobbing, cannot finish this thought.

Gladio surveys the distant hills, his crumbling city, their immediate surroundings- the scene of an interrupted war.

Ignis turns his face towards the rising sun.

Prompto’s tears wet the dusty ground as he sends out a silent and furtive prayer to the monstrous gods.

Please, just let him live. It’s not fair. He didn’t want to be “Chosen." He didn’t want power. He didn’t want any of it. WE don’t want any of it. We don’t need it. We can take care of ourselves. Please. Keep your crystal. Sacrifice your Chosen King, but can’t you just let Noct live?

Prompto shivers as chilled air brushes past his cheek, freezing a tear there for a moment, before the warmth of the sun melts it away.

- - -

Noctis is at the throne, head hanging, the Sword of the Father pinning him there. The massive crystal suspended above.

With a crackle, a thin sheet of ice whizzes along the narrow red carpet running from the throne room doors, up the steps to the throne, encasing Noctis and the fateful sword in a glacial cocoon.

The shimmering ice-sword shatters into tiny shards, which fall into the lap and at the feet of the King, as the ice continues its upward trajectory, icicle fringe on ornate banners, finally encompassing the crystal.

A loud crack, a tinkling waterfall of ice shards tumble down the stairs. And the crystal is no more.

In its place, the Glacian. Shiva. Oversized, and ethereal.

Noctis and Luna, not quite corporeal, peer over the top of the throne at the slumped and frozen figure seated there.

Shiva speaks, and the two look up at her. “We have heard your friend’s plea, and we are moved. If you would take your life back, you may have it. But not as the Chosen, and not as the King. You may live merely as a man.”

Noct and Luna look at one another with faint surprise, then back at the Goddess.

“Know that if we do this, it must not interfere with the Prophecy. Noctis Lucis Caelum rid this star of its scourge at the cost of his own life. This is a truth that even the Astrals cannot change.”

The Oracle and the Chosen King, hands clasped, nod in unison. Noctis turns his head and gently kisses his childhood friend on her cheek. With a warm smile, she guides him to the throne. He sits, and the ice begins to melt.

- - -

Three friends enter the throne room, arm-in-arm. All three are crying.

A sharp intake of breath from Gladio. “What the hell?!”

Prompto lifts red-rimmed eyes to the empty throne. “He’s...already gone.”

- - -

The funeral takes place in the throne room.

Sunlight pours in through stained glass windows.

Hundreds of mourners press tear-damp fingers on a closed stone sarcophagus.

- - -

Continued in Part 2

#ffxv #ffxv fanfiction #prompto argentum #noctis lucis caelum #ff15 #ignis scientia #gladiolus amicitia #final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #Final Fantasy #ff15 fanfiction #lunafreya nox fleuret #spoilers #im sorry #sadness

[mcalhenwrites]

Well, I’ve posted a few bits of this, but I think I’ll try a whole chapter. I know two of you - maybe more - have read this on my google docs when I first offered to share it with a handful of people. But I told myself to try posting a full chapter publicly, so here we go! And thank you @thefire-in-the-nightsky and @eratoschild for reading it and giving me encouraging feedback. (Honestly, I might not have written this at all if Miranda hadn’t let me do a little rambling about my idea in the first place, as they’re a fellow WC fan.)  Side note: The title was inspired by one of the names considered for White Collar, Pro and Con. In other words, a pun. So I went a little punnier. 

Pros and Consequences chapter 1

Ignoct, White Collar AU

“This time, he hit the Citadel and stole an artifact.” Ignis doesn’t have to ask who, and his immediate thoughts slip to one artifact in particular. “It isn’t the Ring of the Lucii?”

Aranea snorts without turning away from her computer. The clatter of tapped keys echoes through the room of the Lucis Federal Bureau of Investigations white collar crimes office. Not one agent doesn’t cast a wary glance in Ignis’ direction, but they pretend to be involved in their own cases. When it comes to Noctis Caelum, though, all those crimes are slapped on Ignis’ desk. He is considered the “expert” when it comes to this particular con artist. There hasn’t been any news on Noctis for months; now it seems he is back in Insomnia and aiming high.

Worst of all, he’s succeeding.

It may be only one advantageous hit since his reemergence, but the Citadel is a high-security building with guards and advanced systems that no single person could hack alone. Obtaining the Ring of Lucii—one of the country’s most precious artifacts—is no easy feat. Nothing is more heavily guarded, aside from the remnants of the past royal family that once ruled over Lucis before the monarchy was dissolved and fairer institutions put in place. Noctis must have had help, but Ignis doesn’t know all of his criminal acquaintances.

Why would Noctis go after it, though? He aimed for small targets before, making him a low priority criminal. His case has sat in the basement of the bureau for almost a year, with no blips on the radar. Clarus insisted Ignis move on to other, more dangerous criminals when they realized the trail had gone cold.

Ignis peers over at his boss’s office door. As if summoned by the news that letting Noctis Caelum go for a few months has bitten him in the ass, Clarus steps out and does a two-fingered wave that says “get in here” in Ignis’ direction.

As soon as the door is closed, Clarus flips closed the blinds overlooking the other agents—who have all been watching Ignis either directly or indirectly—and begins to pace the floor. His hands are on his hips.

“I suppose you’ve heard.”

“I have. How do we know it’s Caelum? Did he leave some kind of signature?”

Clarus pauses at his desk and flips open a file. He hands over a stack of photographs from the CCTV at the Citadel. Many of them show a man in all-black clothing and a cap over his hair, wearing sunglasses, as he slips through every system with uncanny precision.

“Footprints left at the scene are his shoe size, and the person in the video is the same height as Caelum. He also left a note.”

The last photo is of a typed message in courier new:

Hey Dad This is what you wanted Come find me - N. “N is for Noctis, isn’t it?” Clarus sighs and begins pacing again. He runs a hand over his stubbly chin. “Do you know who his father is?”

“No. There’s no information about him in the system. We don’t have his real name, only a few of his aliases.” Ignis grimaces when he thinks about some of the others Noctis goes by. ‘Neal Gar’ being among the worst, and ‘Prince Lucis’ one of the more flippant and disrespectful.

“Damn.” Clarus taps a finger against the photographs. “I want you back on his case. No one knows more about him than you do.”

Ignis wouldn’t call himself a professional, but he does know a lot more about Noctis Caelum than anyone else in the bureau.

“I’ve never caught him.”

“You’ve come close once, and you’re the Noctis Dictionary.”

“I don’t think I like that nickname.” Ignis decides not to comment on the other part, which he disagrees with. While others translate the events of that evening to Noctis almost being captured before slipping out of Ignis’ grasp, Ignis can only see it as a failure on his part. He feels as if he let Noctis get away because of his own inadequacy as an agent.

“We have to get the Ring of the Lucii back,” says Clarus sternly. “The media and the city already know about this. Word spread quickly earlier this morning.”

Ignis nods. “I’ll do what I can. May I examine these further?” He holds up the photos. Clarus closes the folder and hands it over to him. “It’s your case now. Take whatever you want. Nyx is in evidence, trying to file the paperwork to bring up the rest of the stuff we have on Noctis. Get your team together and head to the scene. I need you to hunt Caelum down.”

Ignis takes one final look at the note before slipping the photographs back into their file and returning to his desk. It adds some perspective to this case. Noctis went after the biggest target he could to get his father’s attention. Whoever this mysterious man is, he wants the ring. The message implies that much. The government doesn’t appear to have a lead on Noctis’ real name or his background. Ignis managed to string together a list of aliases Noctis commonly uses, but none of them are in the system—in fact, three of his five names are blatantly fake. But whenever Noctis has forged something, he cannot resist putting his signature on his work. Pride is a fatal flaw for criminals, especially artistic ones. Noctis always includes ‘N.C.’ somewhere, even if it requires some brainwork or a microscope to find it. When he copied the famous Altissian Nights painting, he hid his initials in the folds of a dancing woman’s skirt. Sometimes it is written with a single horsehair stroke on a bond, but it is always there. If only they could find out more about Noctis’ family, but there’s nothing documented. There are thousands of people with the last name Caelum around the country, but even skimming through birth records and genealogy, Ignis can’t find anything that suggests any relation to Noctis. The last name even belongs to a family corporation who owns hotels and brands of crisps sold on every convenience store shelf, but there has never been a connection between the family and Noctis. Ignis won’t rule out the possibility that ‘Caelum’ is taken from a grandparent or relative much further back, but he needs more information on Noctis’ parents. As far as the government is concerned, Noctis Caelum has only existed for a few years.

“That him?” asks Aranea as Ignis pulls out the photos on his desk. She twists around her computer and stares at the evidence.

“More than likely.” He hands her the photo of the note. “What do you make of that?” As he waits, he steeples his hands and wishes someone would bring him an expresso.

As if summoned, Gladiolus appears beside him and begins passing out Mog Stop coffee. It is convenience store quality, but it will do. Anything will do at this point—even the sludge the machine in the break room churns out.

“Thank you, Gladio.” Ignis takes a long drink, regardless of the heat of the liquid. It has had some time to cool between the store a few blocks away and the downtown bureau, thankfully, and he doesn’t burn his tongue.

Gladiolus brings his own chair over after he finishes distributing drinks. He sets an unclaimed cup on Ignis’ desk.

“Where’s Nyx?”

“Clarus sent him to evidence. Maybe you could go down there and help? I would like him to come with us to the scene.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Gladiolus nods over at the photo in Aranea’s hand. “What’s that?”

“The note he left.”

“Why’d he sign it with just ‘N’?” asks Aranea, handing the photo to Gladiolus.

“His father might not know who ‘N.C.’ is,” says Ignis. “He doesn’t normally leave his initials on his work unless he’s forging something. When he steals something, he tries not to let us know about it—we have no idea what all he has taken.”

“I guess this could be Caelum. It seems like a big target for him this time, and I’m surprised he succeeded. Guess he must really want dear old dad to pay attention.”

“Maybe he’s feeling guilty and wants his old man to give him an overdue ass whooping,” says Gladiolus, handing the photo back to Ignis. He stands up. “I’ll fetch Nyx. Willing to bet the paperwork for evidence won’t process ‘till tomorrow anyway.”

Aranea raises an eyebrow and watches Gladiolus leave. Once he’s gone, she turns back to Ignis.

“Dismissing Gladio’s poor taste in jokes…” she begins. “You think Caelum’s dad might be a criminal, too?”

“Another thief? Makes sense, if the Ring of the Lucii was one of his targets. I suppose that’s another question for Citadel security.” Ignis has a lot of questions, and none of them will be answered easily.

When it comes to Noctis Caelum, nothing ever is. ~*~ The Citadel never fails to impress Ignis. As a child on field trips, he visited the famous establishment from time to time. Tours only cover a few sections of the building, out of way of its daily government functions. The old throne room and the lobby before it, along with the old rooms of the royal family and chambers that hold artifacts from a time long past are open to the public during tours that run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Nyx talks to some of the security guards. He knows one of them—a fellow named Libertus who is helpful in every way possible to get them whatever security footage they need. He explains in detail what kind of systems the building runs on, too. Multiple ones, all offline to prevent tampering. Gladiolus talks with the LBI agents who were on the scene. Evidence is still being collected and sorted into bags, all now under Ignis’ team’s careful watch. It will be brought back to the bureau later. Ignis and Aranea focus their attention on the tour guides, asking them questions about any suspicious activity.

“Did anyone seem unusually disinterested in the tours while taking them?” asks Ignis. “Anyone that wandered off at all?”

“Aside from kids?” One of the young tour guides snorts. “A few, I guess. It happens.”

“We always have wanderers,” says the woman beside him. Her nails are painted a lovely shade of deep blue that match the bow at the top of her blouse. “Old people or young kids are always falling behind or getting lost, and there are always a few teens who want to be anywhere but here. Had a group of them last week that tried to sneak up to the skywalk.”

“Isn’t the skywalk part of the tour?” Ignis is pretty sure he has been across it a handful of times during his youth.

“It’s been under construction for a few weeks now.”

Ignis lifts an eyebrow. “Do you know the name of the company that was hired?”

“You’ll have to ask the head of the treasury and finances department,” says another tour guide—a much older man with a puffy beard. “They’re on the second floor. They would know who they were writing the check for.”

“Thank you.” Ignis looks to Aranea. “Would you go up there and see what you can find out?”

Aranea nods before turning on the heel of her boots and making her way toward the elevators. With that taken care of, Ignis resumes his line of questioning, but he doubts the tour guides have anything more to offer him. They work short hours and are likely underpaid for the stress of herding citizens with wanderlust around the building. Now they’re forced to stay well beyond their shifts to hear repeated questions from law enforcement. Their tours—if they reopen tomorrow—will be hell when all the people disgruntled from not being able to tour today show up with harsh criticisms.

Ignis feels a swell of gratitude for his job. It is never easy, but at least enjoys the work. Even on days like today, where he is sure to bring his case home and to bed with him. It will be like that for several days to come. He needs to make a note to text Luna and let her know he won’t return until late.

After some chatting, Libertus brings Gladiolus, Nyx, and Ignis to the room where the ring was held. It was in a strong glass case—nothing easy to cut. Sensors on the pedestal for the ring set off an alarm if large stores of heat touch it. A human hand would more than suffice to send the alarm, but they never went off the previous night. Cameras placed around the room were left untampered.

“We don’t know what happened to the guard,” says Libertus. “There’s supposed to be one outside at all times. They’re not even allowed a restroom break unless someone’s there to replace them. When we looked at the schedule, someone had typed in a fake name.”

“Someone posed as a guard, then.” Gladiolus grunts and examines the case. “An awful lot of security to get by, and all for this little ring.”

“To the people of Lucis, it’s the foundation of the country,” says Ignis. “Much like some of the pages of our early constitutions. Those are kept in air-tight containers.”

Gladiolus whistles and shakes his head. “Damn. Bet the old kings and queens never had this kind of security protecting their asses.”

“Not likely.” Ignis lets out a soft laugh. “But the ring they wore for the greater part of two centuries fascinates the people. It’s worth billions.”

“Someone will buy it. They always do.”

“I don’t think Caelum is planning to sell it.” While only a hunch, the Ring of the Lucii is far too important to hand over to a buyer. The power of being able to hold even illegal ownership of the ring will also be too great a temptation for someone as prideful as Noctis.

Not to mention, if it’s a lure for his father, there is no reason for Noctis to part with it before a reunion.

“What do you think he’s going to do with it?” asks Gladiolus.

“I don’t know. It would help if we knew his father’s name—or Caelum’s real one—and why this father of his wants the ring.”

“Guess we’ve got a lot of research to do.” Gladiolus sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “It’s gonna be a long night.”

“Indeed.” Ignis pulls out his phone to text Luna and let her know she might as well give his dinner to Umbra and Pryna. It’s likely he won’t be home until midnight, and only then to get a shower and sleep before he is back at work early the next day.

#I've been lazy to update google docs but I'm working on chapter 9 - which was originally chapter 10 until I condensed it #I don't think I'll post the whole thing here #and I'm not ready to post on AO3 #// ignoct #// white collar #// ffxv #that is the closest I'm getting to tagging lmao

[eloarei]

WIP Game

List the things you’re excited to work on this year in as little or as much detail as you like, and then tag some friends!

Tagged by @enchantedtalisman (and again it won’t tag you. Tch. Sorry. But thanks for the tag!)

(Behind a cut, because you don’t want to read all that. ...Or maybe you do?)

In no particular order, because my level of excitement changes at the drop of a hat: 6 BNHA fics, and one each FFXV and FO4. 1700 words of synopses and babbling.  (Friends who read my stuff: if you wanna skim through these and tell me which one(s) (if any) you’d most want to read, that’d be rad. =D Will it influence what I work on? Who knows? My inspiration is fickle as shit. But it couldn’t hurt.) 

1. “Touch2” -- current WIP, 10k + notes. BNHA. Dekumight. Estimated total: 20k?      Picking up right where “Touch” left off, this fic is a slightly more detailed/slow/slice-of-life story than its predecessor. The 10k I’ve written so far takes place over the course of only 2 days, and it’s mostly Toshi and Izuku getting to know each other, and Toshi being yelled at by his manager (an OC called Suzuki). The general plot of the story doesn’t deviate very far from canon, as far as I’ve planned. “Touch2” will probably cover at least up to the entrance exam, but I’m not entirely sure. Given that leisurely pace, there’ll probably have to be a Touch3 and 4 as well, if not even more.       I’ve been slowly hacking away at this one since the start of December, just in between whatever else I might be working on. Kind of got to a point where I need to actually think about what happens next? ^^; Also, it’s gotten too long to be a one-shot, I think, but I’m going to have to be careful how I split it up. It’s not written for splitting… Well, I’ll figure it out. Just gotta keep writing first.

2. “Make the Most sequel, and side stories” -- only notes. BNHA. Dekumight. Estimated total: lots???      I’m lumping these all together, but this includes quite a few stories, some of which I have plans/notes for, some only ideas. One of the first is a fic that might be, at most, half the length of MtM, which is the events of MtM from Toshi’s POV. This was actually requested by a friend, but it was something I kind of already wanted to do, which is cool. Other side stories include perspectives from other characters, some things like dates and vacations, Izuku learning to use his powers, and some extra NSFW scenes, because why not? After all of those, I intend for there to be an ‘official sequel’, taking place towards the end of Izuku’s college run, which might function as more of an epilogue than a sequel, due to the potential lack of actual plot.      Geez there is just so much potential for this series to go on in side-stories and extras and etc. I actually get a little mad at myself whenever I neglect to continue it, because it’s sort of my main, well, IP, I guess you’d say. It’s my kudos breadwinner. XD I should just do it!

3. “Loveless epilogue” -- only notes. BNHA. Dekumight. Estimated total: 7k?      A short...er sequel/epilogue, taking place roughly a year (I might change that) after the main story, revolving (spoiler alert) around Toshi figuring out if/when/how to propose to Izuku, and summing up how things have gone in the past year. Mushy because I love marriage, okay guys, I just love it so much, and also a little bit morbid because of an in-universe tradition that could be considered either romantic or creepy, depending on your views. =D      I actually ought to write this one like… immediately, while the main fic is still fresh in my mind. It’s extremely self-indulgent, maybe more than just, y’know, my normal writing. But I think at least some of the people who read LOVELESS will like it. ^^ And I will, I think. And that’s all that really matters, right?! *shakes head ‘no’*

4. “Waste” -- current WIP, 1k + notes. BNHA. Dekumight(-ish?), and Deku+friends. Estimated total: 15k???? No. Probably more.      A Fallout fusion. Vault 211 (21-1 or twenty-one one) has been carefully breeding superpowers into its population for the past 200 years, but if yours doesn’t show up by your 18th birthday, prepare to be kicked out on your ass into the unforgiving wasteland. Guess who’s the newest resident of the wastes? Lucky for Izuku, he meets a frightening creature who takes to looking out for him. ‘Human’ under some description, he’s sure, this guy has radiation levels through the roof. Burly super-mutant by day, gangly rotting ghoul by night, he doesn’t exactly have a lot of friends, but boy is he good at surviving in the hellscape that the world has become.      I freaking love Fallout a whole lot, and look, Toshi/All Might is so very much a ghoul/super mutant, and vaults just give you so much free reign to give people powers and etc etc, look, it just seemed like something that would work. Not sure really how it’s going to go, but we’ll see. =]

5. “Nana/Toshi darkfic” -- only notes. BNHA. Nana/Toshi (probably NSFW) and Dekumight. Estimated total: 20k???       His mentor was beautiful, kind, strong-- perfect. He didn’t realize she was being eaten away by a dark pit in her heart. He didn’t know if leaving her alone would help it. He just wanted to be with her so badly, to please her, to make that smile real, and she lacked the fortitude to refuse him anything that would make him happy. A fic about Nana and Toshi becoming perhaps too close, and Nana struggling with depression. Following the canon timeline moderately closely, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it will include a major character death, and the fallout surrounding it.      Hoo boy did the desire to write this fic just hit me like a ton of bricks a few weeks ago. This is going to be a dark, sad, uncomfortable story, most likely. And although it will end with Dekumight, the large part of the plot will still revolve around Nana/Toshi, so I’m not sure most of my normal readers will want to touch it. XD;;; I think the inspiration to write this came somewhat from the feeling that the ending to LOVELESS was not nearly as dark as it could have been, haha. Every so often I just want to challenge myself and see how many boundaries I can push. ^^;

6. “Feed” -- only notes. BNHA. Dekumight. Estimated total: 15k?      In a world ruled by a vampiric shadow known as All for One, Izuku’s group has been trying to find ways to fight him. Nearly everyone is of this man’s blood now, since he started handing out powers to gain followers. But it’s said that an artifact of some sort exists still which can give the power to defeat him. Izuku, with the purest blood of his group, is chosen to seek it out. But the artifact is a vampire, the last of AfO’s first ‘children’, frozen and starving after failing to defeat his ‘father’, and Izuku almost doesn’t survive the encounter.      I want to write this fic, and I think I should do it while it’s still cold and gloomy, because that’s the feel of the setting, but if I get distracted and don’t get around to it, I probably won’t be too upset.

7. “Parents AU” -- current WIP, 6k + notes. FFXV. Gladnis + Ignis&Noctis. Estimated total: 40k?       Teenage Ignis and Gladio happen to be babysitting the toddler prince when the Empire attacks, and in the chaos they manage to get safely mixed into the crowd of civilians fleeing the city. They decide to treat him as their own until they can be sure it’s safe to return him to someone with more seniority. But will it ever be safe? Fifteen years in hiding says no, and even when Noct is old  enough to be asked to save the world, there’s no way in hell his parents are going to let him go it alone.       I tried to continue writing this the other day and it was terrible. Painful. I almost cried. Literally every word of the 30 or so I managed before I gave up were the hardest things I’ve ever written. I think if I go back and play the game again (which I’d like to, since there’ve been updates and DLC), I think it will be easier. Honestly though, this is one of my favorite things I’ve yet written, so if I don’t see it to fruition, I will be moderately pissed.

8. “Same Heart” -- current WIP, 30k + notes. FO4. Estimated total: 90k (35k for act 1)      The great synth detective Nick Valentine is recaptured by the Institute, remade and reset. He awakes to his new life underground, unaware that he ever roamed the wasteland-- except for the rare moments when they plug in his old memories so they can grill him for info. Though the memories are gone again after every session, they leave an aftertaste of distrust for the people he’s working with, until it’s too much to ignore. Meanwhile, he finds himself as the only person who seems to truly care about the little boy they’re all calling their savior, doing his best to help him grow up with some modicum of love in this sterile environment. When Nick finally decides to break out of their fancy little prison, it’s not a question whether he’ll take Shaun with him, and it’s obvious where they’ll go: to find the parents the Institute stole him from.      This one haunts me, because I spent like 3 months doing practically nothing but writing this last year. I got almost, almost all the way through the first act (out of 3), and then… stopped. Now I know it’s going to be impossible to get back into. And this is already a very different story for me, because it’s essentially a gen fic. The intention is for acts 2 and 3 to focus on Nick and the ‘sole survivor’ Nora, but the whole first act is about him half-raising her son, Shaun. I really want to finish this, or geez, at least the first act! Because it is painful having 30k sitting around that nobody has ever seen. And it’s pretty decent! But even though I have 6 chapters done, I don’t want to start posting it until it has a halfway decent ‘conclusion’, so I need to finish the act. I have to.

And I’ll tag… uh… @oldseablues, @braincoins, @thenightisdarkandfullofbooty, @orionskingdom, @animeuzumaki7, @blessedblooduniverse, @rangrids, and anyone else who’s reading this and is also a writer. =] Tag me back so I can see it, please! ^^

#elo talks #elo fics #tag meme

[kit-astrophy]

Fantasy AU: PART 2

So @moonraccoon-exe has been helping me LOTS with my Gladnis week Fantasy AU! Coonie made a wonderful headcanon post (Part 1) and we’ve talked a lot about it since. SO here is some additional story for the Fantasy AU! We’ll explore Gladio meeting Noctis and Prom, some more about Ignis’ antlers and something about Gladio too  (ಠ‿↼)

This won’t be the last headcanon post! The next one is delving into the angsty side of the story!

Also... I’d really love love love LOVE to see some written scenes or art for this... if anyone would like to write/draw ANYTHING for this AU, please please PLEASE do so because I would love to see any of it! ❤

Let’s first explore how Gladio met Noct and Prom!

Gladio found Noctis first. He had known him before, when they were still a kitten and a foal.

Their dads were buddies!

Yeah, let the image of Werecat!Regis and Centaur!Clarus enter your minds peeps.

It’s been a long time, and both their fathers are gone now.

Noctis didn’t recognize Gladio at first...

He was frightened; he’d had a nasty run-in with some Nif hunters... all he’d been trying to do was find some food in the village.

But he’d been hurt and he ran for the safety of the forest.

And he ran straight into Gladio. Literally.

He panicked okay? He shouldn't have attacked his old friend but he was in flee mode and it was instinct.

He caught Gladio right across the eye... that scar will haunt him forever, even though Gladio really doesn’t mind.

When it all calmed down, they realize who the other was and it was a relief to see each other alive and... kinda well.

So thus, Gladio took in his first stray. They were still just teenagers; 14 and 17.

THEN CAME PROMPTO.

Prompto is pretty much the only Elf around Lucis territory. 

Elves are usually only found in Niflheim. The bros know this. They do not question it.

Prompto is too precious and sweet to be paired with any of those presumptuous pricks.

When Gladio found him he was in a right state. 

He was up in a tree, laying on his belly across a branch. Honestly, he thought he was dead with his arms and legs just dangling down from there.

Luckily he was alive! But he had run so far to get away from Niflheim. Poor kid was exhausted, bare feet raw and bloody.

Believe it or not, Prompto was very quiet at first. He was a Nif, he knew that... he was scared they might hurt him when he woke up in a strange little alcove beside a lake. 

His feet were all wrapped up in some bandages, and there were a pair of boots waiting at his side.

Noctis stole them from the village.

Gladio and Noctis didn’t ask questions. Other than his name, that was all that was important.

Gladio could tell from his eyes that whatever he had seen in Niflheim haunted him. Questions weren’t needed.

Months later, Prompto started to come out of his shell with little giggles and adorable smiles.

He confessed that he was a trained archer. It didn’t take long for Gladio to find the materials he needed to make a bow and some arrows, just in case.

Noctis and Prompto were 17, and Gladio was 20

So lonely Gladio, now had two companions ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

Then of course, came Iggy... which you can read in Coon’s HC post! (Ages 20, 22 and 23, same as in the game)

Coon mentioned Ignis’ itchy antlers in their HC post, but the problem isn't just that they’re still growing. They shed.

Have you SEEN a deer shedding antlers? The first thing to shed is usually the velvet and OMG IT LOOKS LIKE BLEEDING!

Of course Ignis can’t see that the shedding has started, but he can feel the discomfort of velvet hanging off the bone.

This definitely needs more tree rubbing.

But of course, Noctis, Prompto and Gladio don’t know that it’s just velvet shedding...CUE THE FREAK OUT. OMG. IGNIS YOU’RE BLEEDING ASDFGHJKL!!!!  (#ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ

Ignis is just like... (・-・) Is there something on my face?

He manages to explain to them that this is perfectly normal.

They wake up one morning and one of Iggy’s antlers has finally broken off, thank goodness. The itching was terrible.

They catch Noctis later... using it as a toy.

We’re not sure he’s really a panther you guys. Just an over-sized kitten

“It’s good for my teeth!”

Dear astrals don’t try to take it from him.

*HISSSS*

Gladio made that mistake once.

Once.

Then of course, his antlers have to regrow...

TINY LIL’ STUMPS!

Gladio thinks it’s adorable!

Stop touching them Gladio, Iggy doesn’t like it!

He so likes it.

Gladio has his own discomforts too. He hates it when dirt and pebbles get caught up in his hooves and well... centaur anatomy simply doesn’t allow for enough bending to clean them out.

Prompto is more than happy to help. He keeps some dull arrowheads for the task.

He’ll spend ages in the evening carefully scraping out all the nasty bits of loose dirt and stones.

Gladio feels a hundred times better after a good cleaning session. Feels like he could run forever! ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

He’s trotting the next day. Don’t mention it, he’ll deny it.

But it’s adorable and Ignis loves to hear his little trot against the rocks around the lake. It’s highly amusing.

Clop clop clop clop clop

#My AU #Fantasy AU #AU headcanons #Centaur!Gladio #Cervitaurs!Ignis #Werecat!Noctis #Elf!Prompto #moonraccoon-exe #ignis scentia #gladiolus amicitia #prompto argentum #Noctis Lucis Caelum #Prompto-Cam #gladnis

[fortheloveofeos]

Noctis confesses to reader

This little story was a request by @shadow-hokage ages ago and I feel horrible that it’s taken so long. I hope it’s something like you wanted although I wasn’t able to unclude the smut scene for you. 

Also, Noct isn’t engaged to Luna here. 

Word Count: 1714

XXX

Being asked to company the young prince out of Insomnia for a political meeting was more than a surprise when your orders were handed down to you. Noctis and his retainers were close and they had all been trained in combat together for months. Sure, you were more than capable of taking care of yourself – you were a fully trained member of the Crownsguard, after all – but you also were not battle tested.

You had been in one of the training rooms working on your hand-to-hand combat with Gladio when Core Leonis had strolled into the room with his ever-present scowl. He’d given you the rundown quickly and with no preamble. You would leave with them in the morning on a course or Altissa were Noctis would meet with representatives from several other nations to discuss the trade agreement. Regis was not in proper health to travel such a long distance and Noctis, with the help of Ignis, would be capable of resigning the documents. He waited for your agreement before he turned on his heal and strode from the room.

You had known Gladiolus Amicitia perhaps the longest. The two of you were close enough in age that you had faced much of the same training. You had come to know Ignis Scientia as he began his weapons training among the other young Guard members. You had only recently met Prompto Argentum but the moment he had stepped into your training room for assistance with self-defense, the two of you had gotten along perfectly.

Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, on the other hand, was a very different story.

You had grown up in and around the Citadel as your father was a prominent member of the Guard under king Regis. When you began to train, it had quickly been decided that you would serve Noctis as one of his first members of his own Guard. As a result, you spent much of your time when you weren’t training accompanying Noctis as one of the shadows that seemingly never left his side. You had watched him closely, memorized nearly every detail of his Astral-like figure, but you had spoken to him only once. And that was only to introduce yourself on the day you were officially accepted as a member of his Crownsguard.

Being sandwiched between the giant human mountain of a Shield and the sleepy prince in the backseat was absolutely not how you expected your nonexistent relationship with your prince to begin. Having him close enough that you could smell his faintly woody and clean scent was alarming. You knew your cheeks were tinted red and that your entire body was tensed from the proximity. Gladio may have had some idea of what was bothering you as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder. Thankfully, he kept his teasing to a minimum with a waggle of his eyebrows and a knowing smirk.

You found your awkward and clumsy rhythm with the group quickly but did your best to maintain some distance between yourself and Noctis whenever possible. Your banter with the others was natural but your tongue manages to malfunction anytime you attempted to speak to Noctis. Because you were hyperaware of his presence at all times, you could sense that something had been bothering him for a while. Sometimes, he would open his mouth to speak, his midnight blue eyes trained on you before one of the others would cut him off and allow you to escape. You managed to avoid him until arriving in Lestallum.

Happy to have your own room and a chance to sleep in real bed for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, you had starfished onto the mattress and scrolling through your phone when a tentative knock sounded at your door. Ready to find a blushing Prompto ready to convince you to go on another search for something, you gasped softly at the prince.

“Hey,” he mumbled your name beneath his breath with one hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “Can we talk for a minute? If you’re not busy, I mean.”

When you opened your mouth, only a small squeak escaped you before your cheeks burned as bright as a tomato. Snapping your jaw shut with enough force for your teeth to click together, you settled on a nod before moving to the side allowing Noctis to step into your room. Inhaling several slow and steadying breaths, you took your time shutting the door. A small part of you hoped this was all a dream and that when you turned, you would be alone.

“Sorry to just…barge in on you.” He was still there and sporting a blush of his own.

Waving away his apology, you finally managed to speak. “ ‘S fine. Wh-what’s up?” It wasn’t common for Noctis to just show up at your door. Especially when he could be using this time for a nap. Trying to act casual and not like you were about to hyperventilate in front of the most attractive man in the universe who just also happened to technically be your boss, you sat at the edge of the bed and watched as Noctis worried a path in to the carpet with his boots.

Pausing just long enough in his continues strides to flash his eyes up to meet yours, the raven-haired man raked his fingers through his hair and tugged a bit at the roots. “I’ve been trying to get you alone to talk to you for weeks.”

Alone. Noctis Lucis Caleum wanted to speak to you alone.

Noticing your silence, Noctis continued on. “I need to say something and I need you to let me get it out. Before I get too damn distracted during a hunt and end up with a Spiricorn horn through my chest. A gasp left you involuntarily but Noct offered you a small smile. Finally, he stopped in his pacing and instead chose to look out the window at the crowded square beneath the Leville.

His outline was dark against the light flooding in through the window and you took a moment to memorize the shape of his strong and lean form before standing and slowly padding over to him. “What is it?” You couldn’t help asking when he didn’t go on.

With a shake of his head, Noctis turned to you slowly and brushed his stubborn fringe from his eyes. “I know we’re still…getting to know each other,” he started before sucking his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment. He inhaled a shaky breath before closing the distance between the two of you and carefully cupping your face in his hands. You could have sworn your heart had stopped when he lowered his head to get a better view of your face so that he could gauge your reaction. He seemed to be asking permission for something and the small, nearly imperceptible nod you gave him urged him on.

With one step, Noctis backed you against the wall. The cool wood pressed against your back as he pressed his pelvis forward into yours. “Noct,” you breathed as his lips inched nearer to yours.

“Yeah?” The warmth of his breath ghosted over your lips and you shuttered at the sensation. With an understanding glint in his eyes, he pressed his lips to yours deliberately as if his touch could convey his feelings. Neither of you were particularly skilled with words, but actions you could handle.

Immediately, your hands found the messy strands at the back of his head and you tangled your fingers there, tugging slightly. A soft growl spilled into your mouth and your king pulled you from the wall. Your lips parted as he pushed you back onto the bed but as soon as he had ripped his shirt over his head, he was on top of you and kissing you again. His body weight pressed into you – not enough to hurt you or even make you uncomfortable, but enough to make you feel safe and guarded. Like he was going to take everything and make it all okay again, whatever it was.

Letting yourself become lost in his touch, you gently pushed against his chest and mumbled his name against his lips. “What…are you sure?” You finally asked once he pulled back enough for you to breathe.

“I’ve wanted you since I saw you,” he nipped at your ear and you squealed. “With everything going on, I didn’t know if…if I should say anything. If it was right.” He brushed a strand of hair from your eyes carefully as he studied your face. “But Gladio said something to me earlier. Something about living my life for me – at least what parts of it I could. And all I could think about was you.”

The small squeak that left you would have been horrifying if you had been capable of rational thought at that moment. “I’m nothing special,” you spoke quickly so that he couldn’t interrupt you, “and I don’t want to cause you any problems.”

“You don’t want this? Me?” The look on his face broke your heart.

“No!” You pulled him down for another quick kiss. “I want this. More than anything,” you promised him.

Laughing, Noctis kissed you hard enough to take your breath away. “You’re so beautiful,” he smiled.

XXX

“You’re so beautiful.” The blush on your cheeks was perfect with the white lace of your delicate dress. “My beautiful queen.” Noctis stole another chaste kiss from you as he held you in his arms. You distinctly heard the cheers of his three close friends somewhere close behind you but you couldn’t pull your eyes away from your new husband, your king.

The sound of Noctis’ heartbeat thrummed into your ear where it was pressed against his chest. The lights of Galden Quay reflected off the rippling water and you couldn’t help smiling at your reflection on the surface. “I can’t believe this is real. That you’re here with me,” you hummed happily.

Noctis chuckled before dipping you low to the ground and earning a surprised laugh from you. “Luckiest man on Eos, right here,” he kissed you sweetly before righting you again. As the world came back into focus, the small group of friends gathered around clapped wildly.

#Noctis Lucis Caelum #noctis x reader #prompto argentum #gladiolus amicita #ignis scientia #ffxv #ff15 #Final Fantasy #final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #final fantasy fanfiction #fanfiction #reader insert #fortheloveofeos