#Noctis does not want to have that conversation

[a-world-in-grey]

You know, I always headcanoned that once Niflheim got their hands on some photos of the prince and his civilian friend, they absolutely knew that Prompto was an escaped clone. The resemblance to Besithia was obvious, after all. They just didn't bother to do anything with it, since it's not like they need that particular clone and it's not even like Prompto has a sleeper programming.

But in the Spark verse, well. Prompto is a child of an Oracle. And if Glauca is a thing, they might even know about her magic.

Either way, they really want to have her back.

I have been sitting on this ask for awhile, because I love it, but unfortunately the muses are not cooperating with me on it.

In most of my fics, Niflheim doesn’t really bother paying too much attention to Prompto - yeah, he’s the prince’s friend, but he’s civilian, and furthermore, not a member of his Retinue, so ergo, he can’t be that important to the prince. Not enough to be worth investing any resources into whatever aim they might want with Prompto anyway.

But in Spark au, Prompto is claimed as Noctis’ Heart far earlier than normal in an effort to protect her secret, and that makes Niflheim take a closer look at this civilian girl who’s gotten so close to the prince. And you’re right, the resemblance is uncanny if you know what to look for.

I feel like Titus wouldn’t know about Prompto’s magic. Noctis and the others are so very careful to keep her magic under wraps, and the cover of Prompto having Noctis’ magic so compelling, that Titus never realizes the truth.

Now, if they ever managed to get their hands on the Prince’s Heart long enough to somehow learn that carefully hidden truth… well.

That would change things, wouldn’t it?

[bestboyignis]

"A king must never stand still. He must keep moving forward, whatever the cost. However, even a king can feel worried and lost. When that time comes, I want you to be by Noctis' side, as his friend—and as his older brother."

I first played FFXV in English, and so missed this very subtle detail when I was an early fan. I'm not kidding when I say that the first time I played in Japanese and heard this speech, my eyes went 👀 because suddenly everything that Ignis did in Episode Ignis made so much more sense.

The difference is this: In the EN version, Regis asks Ignis to stay by Noctis' side, "as his friend—and as his brother." In the JP version, Regis asks Ignis to be Noctis' 兄 / "ani" / "older brother".

For me, this is a big difference. A "brother" is an equal, a companion, someone you can trust and share good times and bad times with. An older brother is many of these things, too, except an older brother is not an equal.

FFXV is still culturally a Japanese/Asian game. Many Asian languages have a specific name for an older—especially the eldest—sibling. To be the eldest is to be responsible for the younger ones. It's not uncommon for the eldest to shoulder more of the chores, be responsible for the actions of the younger siblings (yes, to the point of getting in trouble for them as well), to be expected to discipline them, and generally be accountable for whatever happens to one's younger siblings. This does usually provide the eldest sibling more authority, but it also comes with expectations of sacrifice. The eldest is expected to be more patient, to give things away they want for themselves, and generally make sure the younger siblings are provided for before considering one's self.

For me, who culturally also has this concept albeit not being Japanese, that Ignis was tasked to be Noct's "ani" makes their relationship make so much more sense. Ignis' strictness with Noct, the exasperation, the perseverance, the nagging, and conversely Noct's cheekiness, stubbornness, whining and complaining, laziness (no I swear this is typical youngest son behaviour!) and just the general banter that goes on between them is very much older brother/younger brother dynamic. I don't know why I didn't make this connection in the EN version, but that's language for you. 🥲

Ignis' actions in Episode Ignis were not extreme. I have known eldest children who give up more of themselves and for longer. This is not to belittle Ignis' sacrifice, only to say that his actions made sense given his role in Noctis' life.

[thisfairytalegonebad]

"Don't worry about me." - Prompto & Ignis, road trip

Prompt #31 of the Love List.

Read below the cut or on AO3 here.

It’s raining. Though, perhaps raining is a bit of an exaggeration – in truth, it’s more of a light drizzle. Nothing compared to the absolute deluge they’ve had to deal with the past few days – perhaps the weather is finally improving.

Either way, Ignis grabs an umbrella before he steps out of the caravan.

He doesn’t have to search long for the familiar tuft of blond hair, blending in quite nicely with the birds. Right now, it lies flat from the rain rather than sticking up in all directions like it usually does.

Ignis isn’t moving particularly quietly, but Prompto still startles when he comes to stand next to him, umbrella angled so that it covers both their heads.

“Iggy!” he yelps, clutching at his chest in a very dramatic motion. “Don’t just sneak up on me like that, man!”

The bird he’s been petting squawks in protest, bumping its head against Prompto’s shoulder and making him stumble.

“Sorry, girl,” Prompto coos immediately, quickly resuming the scritches beneath the chocobo’s chin. “Whatcha doing out here? I mean, not that I want you gone, but you sounded pretty excited about the idea of warm beds and, y’know, being dry."

“I could ask you the same thing,” Ignis counters. “I simply came to make sure you were alright.”

Prompto glances at him but looks away again just as quickly. “Oh. I’m fine, just spending some quality time with Queenie here. Gotta enjoy it while it lasts, right?”

Queenie, clearly enjoying the attention, leans into the touch, which in turn makes Prompto laugh.

Encouraged by her reaction, Ignis reaches out as well, gently running his hand over her wing. The sensation of wet feathers against his bare palm is… not all that pleasant, but the chocobo lets out a delighted sound and seems very pleased with all the pets she is receiving.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Ignis says, offering Prompto a smile. “We’ve all been having a rough time lately, and I’ve been meaning to ask if you were doing alright – offer a listening ear, should you wish for it.”

The fall of Insomnia still weighs heavy on all of them, though most of their collective efforts have revolved around helping Noctis deal with the grief of losing his father as well as reuniting Gladio with his sister as soon as possible.

Between Noctis’ listlessness and Gladio’s anger simmering just below the surface, it was easy to forget that Prompto most likely lost people too. Of course, that’s not an excuse at all and Ignis is quite frankly ashamed that he did not think to inquire about Prompto’s well-being any sooner.

Prompto eyes him with something akin to surprise. It stings a little, that Ignis checking up on him is something that elicits bewilderment, though he supposes it’s not entirely undeserved with how long it has taken him to actually do so.

“Me?” Prompto says, too quickly. “Yeah, of course, I’m fine. I mean, sure, it’s been rough, but I’m okay. Really. Don’t worry about me.”

It would be easy to leave it at that. Prompto is offering him an easy way out, a chance to drop the conversation and still feel like he has done his part by asking in the first place. Ignis and Prompto aren’t as close as Noctis and Prompto or himself and Gladio, but he does like to think that they are at the very least friends.

But there is something about Prompto’s statement that leaves Ignis incapable of dropping the issue, even if he wanted to.

Don’t worry about me.

But then if he doesn’t, Ignis wonders, who will?

“Forgive me if I’m overstepping,” he starts carefully. “But… have you been able to contact your parents at all?”

Prompto stills beside him. His hand remains in the chocobo’s feather’s, clutching at the soft down.

“I, uh. I tried calling them a few times. Texted, too, but those never went through. I haven’t actually heard anything from them since…”

The words, though not unexpected, make Ignis’ heart clench. Of course, in the first few days after the attack, people would have been hard to contact due to a combination of power outages and overloaded phone lines.

But Ignis has sat in on meetings regarding the city’s emergency protocols enough times to know that there are steps to be taken in the event of a disaster that have communication up and running within less than a week. By now, anyone still in the city should be contactable by phone once more.

If Prompto is still unable to reach his parents, then…

“I’m sorry,” Ignis offers softly.

“Thanks, uh, I mean. It’s fine, really,” Prompto says with forced nonchalance. He’s not looking at Ignis, instead staring straight ahead at Queenie who has started to shift impatiently beneath Prompto’s still hand.

Ignis frowns. In the years that he’s known Prompto, he’s long since learnt that the boy is startlingly good at hiding his distress. But Ignis likes to think that he’s getting somewhat skilled at reading Prompto’s true emotions even if he tries to conceal them.

This feels different, somehow.

“Prompto, it’s alright to be upset,” he presses gently.

“But that’s exactly the problem – I’m not!” Prompto blurts, then immediately blanches once he realises what he’s said.

“No?”

“No! At least… well, I’m sad, sure, but I’m not devastated the way a guy who just lost his parents should be!”

As soon as the words spill from Prompto’s lips, he claps a hand over his mouth, eyes wide and startled. It’s clear he didn’t actually mean to say any of it, but Ignis is glad that he did.

“I see,” he says, keeping his tone neutral and deliberately free of judgment.

“You– You’re just gonna accept that? That’s not normal,” Prompto insists. He sounds frustrated and upset, like he expects something from Ignis that he is not going to give. An accusation, perhaps, or being told that he should be ashamed of himself.

Wiping his hand – still wet from the chocobo’s feathers, gods, he wishes his gloves hadn’t been so thoroughly soaked by the rain – on his pants, Ignis lays gentle fingers on Prompto’s back.

“I might be wrong, but I believe you may have already grieved your parents long before Insomnia fell. In your own way.”

Prompto twitches but doesn’t shy away from the touch. If anything, he seems to unconsciously lean into it.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ignis sighs. This isn’t the conversation he thought they were going to have when he stepped out of the caravan, but they are going to have it if it helps Prompto feel better about himself.

“You know that Noctis spent some time in Tenebrae as a child after he was attacked, yes? And that Tenebrae was invaded while he was still there?”

Prompto nods, brows furrowed. “Yeah?”

“When the news of the invasion reached Insomnia, I absolutely lost my mind,” Ignis admits. The memory is not a fond one, but Prompto deserves to learn of it more than anyone else, at least if Ignis’ hunch is correct. “I was beside myself with worry about Noct – my uncle dragged me to the doctors to have me sedated because I wouldn’t stop crying.”

Even after all these years, it’s hard to forget the terror he felt in the days after the invasion. Remembering it now is almost too painful to bear, but Prompto is visibly puzzled, so Ignis keeps talking.

“He thought I was concerned for my parents who lived in Tenebrae at the time, but… the thought that they may have been affected or even killed in the invasion hadn’t even occurred to me. All I could think of was Noct, and I had not spared a single thought to my parents.”

No one but Ignis’ uncle knows – knew – about this. It’s a story he hasn’t told to anyone, not to Gladio, certainly not to Noct. To share it now, after all these years, is both terrifying and liberating at the same time.

“My uncle was concerned about my… lack of fear for my parents’ safety, as well as my general mental state after learning of the news, so he had me attend therapy sessions for a while. My therapist at the time theorized that the potential loss of my parents didn’t register the way my uncle expected it because I had already grieved them a long time ago – back when they sent me to Lucis and then failed to keep up contact.”

He pauses, debating his next words but ultimately deciding that it hardly matters now – he's already shared so much, he might as well go all the way. “They were still very much alive when I’d grieved them, but they may very well have been dead to me.”

Prompto looks a little horrified now, so Ignis offers him a reassuring smile. “It’s alright. It’s an old wound, long since scarred over. My parents eventually turned out to be alive – they’d managed to flee Tenebrae and resided in Lucis afterwards, but nothing much changed. I’ve not spoken to them in years.”

“I’m sorry, Iggy,” Prompto says quietly. “That’s terrible.”

“It’s in the past now,” Ignis promises. “But the reason why I share this story with you is because I believe you may be experiencing something similar. I’m not privy to the details of your familial situation, but I have put some things together over the years I’ve known you.”

Prompto was always secretive about his home life and Ignis never pried – instead, he opted to make sure the boy was fed and cared for in the most inconspicuous way he could manage. But now, Ignis can’t help but wonder how deep those wounds Prompto’s parents inflicted truly ran.

“I’m not… I don’t hate them,” Prompto insists. “They weren’t horrible to me or anything, they just… weren’t there. I guess they felt more like strangers than like parents.”

He sighs, sounding weary and worn out. “Maybe I was kind of done with them before Insomnia fell. I don’t know. It feels wrong to not be upset the way I should be.”

“It’s entirely possible that grief will catch up with you at a later time, once our situation calms down a little and you’ve got more time to process,” Ignis tells him. “But if it doesn’t, that’s alright too. You needn’t feel guilt over it.”

Prompto doesn’t look convinced but doesn’t argue. He remains silent, lost in thought for a long while before he speaks again.

“I think I’m gonna have to think about this for a little bit. Sleep on it, maybe.” The look he gives Ignis is almost apologetic. “Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Ignis says without hesitation. “Take however long you need. Just know that the offer for a listening ear still stands, should you wish for it.”

Prompto smiles, although shakily, and his next words come out a little choked. “Thanks, Iggy. Really. And, uh, the same goes for you, yeah?”

“I appreciate it,” Ignis says, finding that he really means it, too. “Now, would you mind terribly if we headed back to the caravan? It wouldn’t do for you to get sick.”

With a sigh, Prompto gives Queenie a final pat on the neck. “Sorry, girl. I don’t have fluffy feathers to keep me warm, so I gotta go now. I’ll stop by in the morning, though.”

Then, he steps closer to Ignis so they both fit under the umbrella.

“Okay, let’s go back.”

----

Based on the "100 ways to say I Love You" list. Read the entire project here.

[nocturnalazure]

Not-a-tutorial - Dialogues: Part II

Part 2 of the not-tutorial about how Noctie does dialogues!

Some of you know this already, but I do the shooting part first, then write the dialogues to go with the pictures that I got. It works best for me that way. I always always ask myself: what does the character want to convey here? What is the essential message? Answering that question helps me stripping out all the redundancies and unnecessary bits that would bog down my meaning. Also, I tend to find that short bits of dialogue going back and forth between characters make for a more realistic and dynamic conversation.

Talking about realism, I like showing small hesitations in a character's speech. We don't always speak in one breath. We pause, we stammer, we look for the right words,... So I choose carefully where to split my lines, in order to make them as meaningful as possible and to have the most impact on the reader (hopefully).

I use ellipsis (the three dots) to relay "visible silence". That is, when it is important to show that a character could talk but is very definitely not talking (either because they're holding back, or because they have too many thoughts at once, or the words don't come out, etc etc). I overuse those three dots, I just love meaningful silences.

I don't use any bubble at all for silences that are real silences (ie, the character is taken aback or is simply keeping quiet). It's more dramaaaaaatic that way!

Characters should ideally speak with different voices, but I know that's difficult to achieve. Besides some obvious extremes (I try not making my more cerebral characters speak the same way as the tougher, street-wise characters for example), I don't think I can get it right myself, mostly because English is not my native language and I don't master it well enough to be able to imitate a variety of accents and registers. So I try using other ways to individualize a character's way of talking, like speech mannerism or favorite expressions.

Erik's favorite swearword is very clearly "Goddammit". xD

Romeo uses Italian when he's frustrated (mostly interjections) or when he wants to make a point.

There are other easy ways to make a character's voice distinctive. Some will be quicker to crack a joke and others will have a stammer. Some will always be sulky, others will be particularly rude or polite. Their identity should somehow show through their way of speaking and addressing people.

Even if a graphic novel is very static, the way characters position themselves can say a lot about them too. The poses I select for each character can give an attentive reader some hints about their personality.

Again, I don't want to labor the point uselessly as everyone surely knows how to read a comic and I'm really not saying my way is the right way because it's not. I struggle a lot and I change my mind and try different things and there are a million things that I just don't do right. This speech bubble sort-of-guide is probably way too specific to be useful to anyone, and again, I don't believe I have enough expertise to pretend I know what I'm doing. I just really like the topic so consider it a ramble!

Thank you for reading this far! Hopefully that was at least interesting!

[coconox]

certified delulu post about nocti

a.n. this'll be a compilation of thoughts from my initial reactions to sands of wrath to his voicelines to literally everything about him. THIS WILL HEAVILY BE A NOCTI X SKK!READER KIND OF THING because i'm all in for a lil self insert to feed my delulu visions. also as a heads up i did read the story using google translate so if i quote anything it's basically what google translate told me but i edited it to make some grammatical sense. and yes there will be spoilers

a lot of context will be left out so if you don't wanna be confused by names check out this lore doc that gives a summary of er-5 or pgr lore in general, this post just talks about er-5 lol

EXHIBIT A: TRIGUN AU

have you seen trigun (ESPECIALLY trimax) cause if you have this makes so much more sense

noctis is vash and nigel is knives

both are brothers and have almost opposite ideologies

i did think of wolfwood and livio as another option but nigel does fit a bit closer to resembling knives

VASHWOOD (where nocti is vash and skk is ww (or the other way round, honestly either still works)

nocti: but you must promise me that you won’t die before i come back! no…. you’re not allowed to die even after i come back! i will definitely find a way to save you!

skk: of course, partner…..

this had me in TEARS I WAS NOT READY

nocti fist bumping you just made me think of this scene with vash and meryl

HE ALSO CALLS YOU PARTNER AS HE FIST BUMPS YOU the way i had this realization so late into writing all this

sands of wrath setting literally looks like a place you’d find in no man’s land

nocti’s voiceline telling you to smile more, similar to ww telling vash to smile more (and i mean their genuine smile, not the fake one they use in front of people)

EXHIBIT B: NOCTI AND SKK ARE MARRIED

they are married and own a bar together hear me out—

you two enter a town in which neither of you are welcome because you’re both from babylonia, the mayor decides to put you two in a hotel room till the harvest festival is over

you two are in separate beds, but neither of you can sleep, so you two do what any pair of roommates would do—

—have a 6 hr "light conversation" :D

first actual convo with nocti, you both take turns to ask questions about why they’re here, what’s going on, etc

nocti asks why you trust him so easily, you respond with “it’s intuition” which is a response nocti seemed to like

you also state how you hope he returns to cerberus and fall asleep. nocti in a way states he also wishes to go back to cerberus and sleeps as well

at some point nocti leaves the hotel room to find demont, who is the reason you two ended up working together in the first place, but there was an attack by hetero creatures and nocti swiftly got rid of them

after talking to the mayor, max, about wanting to be just a resident in town, he takes you to a bar, in which that’s where you find nocti

ya know he could’ve talked about ANYTHING and his drunk ass decided to talk about HOW HE PROTECTED YOU??? COINCIDENCE??? I THINK NOT

you find nocti and he offers his hand out to you to dance with him, you reluctantly agreed and you two end up break dancing together

this was him proposing to you i’m just sayin—

the night passes and you two begin living your lives as residents of new oakley

when he first calls you partner, it was originally solely because temporarily they’re no longer considered members of babylonia, and so to fit in with the whole wild west type style, nocti refers to you as “partner” and you agree to do the same to him

first time it’s used outside your interaction with him was when nocti has small talk with vann

vann: you’ll only obey orders from that commandant, right? these are the rules of the sky garden

nocti: i don’t listen to anyone’s orders, but if it’s a request from my partner, that’s a different matter

NOCTI WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT LIKE WE’RE ROMANTICALLY PARTNERS?????

this isn’t the first time he does something like that he’s very consistent about it

truly a devoted man

also “MY partner” ????? he also pretty much refers to you as his partner throughout the whole story i got whiplashed when we were back to being called skk in his affection story

after you and nocti find demont there’s a small good cop bad cop scene (which i found hilarious), but at the end demont couldn’t reveal much vital information due to dying from poison

nocti realizes this poison is something only nigel can control, and stormed out into the center of town in a fit of rage trying to find nigel

calming him down and telling him to retreat to not make a big scene was practically impossible, that is till you shout “trust me— partner!!” and nocti finally calms down and retreats

HELLO??? CALLING HIS NAME HE DIDN'T BAT AN EYE BUT BEING CALLED PARTNER MADE HIM ACTUALLY LISTEN??

i'm absolutely speechless

you two cook up a plan to find out what’s really going on +bonus hand holding at the end

your part was to just do your job as a bartender while nocti handles the investigating, and eventually nigel shows up

nigel asks what’s the difference between a human and a construct, you respond in a way a bartender would explain it, but nigel wants an answer from you as a commandant rather than a bartender

he ends up poisoning you and leaves, nocti arrives a little while later after discovering what the plan is for this town in the next few days

i remembered that before we split up i told him not to be reckless, but in the end i was the one that was careless and ended up in this miserable condition. i no longer had the strength to stand, so i could only slide down to the edge of the bar. at the beginning, i said big words that would make nocti return to cerberus in an honored manner… i didn’t expect to be the one to make him sad for his companions

skk: i'm sorry…. nocti….

nocti: HEY! don’t say such depressing things to me so quickly

nocti then enters a panicked state of not knowing what to do cause skk is poisoned and there's no known cure for it

nocti gritted his teeth. he didn't even know how to give first aid. he regretted not learning more about first aid from vera before

GOT ME SOBBING, EMOTIONALLY DAMAGED, SHATTERED INTO PIECES

you tell nocti to go help the mayor cause if the mayor dies the town will fall

nocti is in pure disbelief that at a time like this you're more worried about someone else and he refused to leave you here

after some reassuring nocti goes ahead and takes care of what's going on in town and immediately after checks if you’re still ok

he hears a painful scream in his communication device and he SPRINTS back to where you are and finds both vera and 21 there attempting to take care of you

21 comments on how nocti is a lot more powerful ITS BECAUSE HIS LOVER IS DYING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM AND HE WANTS TO SAVE THEM BUT DOESN'T KNOW HOW

there’s an encounter with the purifying force, wanting nocti dead since they believe he’s the cause of their aircraft crashing

you tell them that it isn’t his fault and after essentially a stare down between the purifying force and cerberus, the purifying force leaves you all alone since they trust you (thank the overlords for you working with them before and gaining a good work relationship)

you, cerberus, max, and vann think of a plan on what to do next now that you all know where nigel might be located

nocti will go and fight nigel alone since it’s the reason he even came here in the first place while the rest defend the town

you establish a m.i.n.d. connection with nocti, which in turn gives him the poison as well since you’re basically almost a walking corpse at this point

the fact that nocti, with NO hesitation, established a connection with you makes it LOUD AND CLEAR that he will stick with you no matter what even if it leads to his death

cue another hand holding scene, and nocti leaves

vera and 21 get very VERY concerned over your health, yet you’re still adamant about keeping the connection with nocti

21: they want to keep a deep m.i.n.d connection w nocti

vera: DO YOU WANT TO DIE?! if you're deeply connected, your consciousness will be completely bound to him…. if he dies, you also die

skk: he… needs….. me…..

this is LITERALLY a moment where one cares more about their partner THAN THEIR OWN WELL-BEING ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

transitioning over to nocti’s side, he finally confronts nigel

nigel mentions that in order to cure the commandant he needs to be killed, but just HEARING that name come out of his mouth made nocti more full of rage than he’s ever had

this part alone SCREAMED nocti being like "you do NOT have the right to say my partner's name after what you did to them, i am no longer doing this for myself, i'm doing this FOR THEM"

so anyways nocti gets his ass beat 💀💀, nigel lecturing him that he’s still confused and is only driven by anger

the cutscene if you wanna watch it

"commandant… you must be disappointed with me…. damn it… are you mad at me? haha.. me too…. leave everything to me from now on. let’s make that bastard taste our true wrath, partner..."

“i can’t die here yet…. my partner is still waiting for me to come back.”

similar to 21's comment earlier, nigel notices how nocti's steps aren't noisy and chaotic anymore, but steady, firm, and powerful now BECAUSE HIS PARTNER IS ROOTING FOR HIM TO WIN AND HE NEEDED THAT BOOST OF ENCOURAGEMENT... THAT'S WHY YOU WERE SO ADAMANT WITH KEEPING A M.I.N.D. CONNECTION WITH NOCTI

this whole fight scene had me SCREAMING

“my partner and i will use all our strength… to beat you to pieces”

if you still haven’t gotten it DO YOU SEE IT NOW??? HIS MAN IS FULLY DRIVEN TO HIS FULL POTENTIAL BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU AND WANTS TO.. NO... NEEDS TO COME BACK TO YOU

nocti wins and nigel essentially retreats but with a new found respect for his brother

but before he retreats he asks nocti the same question he asked you: what’s the difference between humans and constructs

he gives his own answer and guesses yours (since he was rather confident enough with knowing a lot on how you think) and it boils down to them having the same answer but different font

the place nocti and nigel were fighting in collapses, forcing nocti to leave and never see nigel again

you and nocti are back in the hotel room recovering, and a few locals come in to beg nocti to stay and not go back to babylonia

“but i made a promise with my partner, i want to return to cerberus in a dignified manner…”

after more silly banter everyone leaves you and nocti alone to rest, but neither of you can sleep

nocti brings up the question nigel asked him, and you gave him your actual answer, which is pretty close to what he guessed

nocti: haha… just as i thought, i know you better

skk: but maybe i know you better. for example, what you look like when you’re drunk

nocti: WHAT?! DID I DO ANYTHING WEIRD WHEN I WAS DRUNK???

skk: forget it, stop talking, i’m sleepy

nocti: HEY!! TELL ME NOW!!!!

he’s a literal blushing mess after you told him you saw him drunk

your honor this is literally a newly wed couple

gotta of course mention his affection story so read here for a summary of that as well

the way he ONLY uses the best quality and probably most expensive ingredients to make your food

nocti giving a damn about this whole pancake thing only because YOU care

LIKE HE'S PUTTING HIS PREFERENCES ASIDE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY

MORE HAND HOLDINGGG this time in the form of you helping him mold the pancake shape +bonus nocti blushing

both literally wanting to do the whole working at a bar thing together again in the future that is like PEAK ENDGAME for their marriage

+bonus boss being supportive and naming the new drink and dish that was made after you and nocti

the whole affection story just very clearly and vividly plays out nocti and skk working together flawlessly at the bar like their chemistry was SO GOOD !!!!

very sorry for any grammar errors i'm very hyperfixated on him rn and i needed to scream about it somewhere

anyways thank you for coming to my ted talk i will now think of nocti in a wedding dress /hj

[sparklecryptid]

Right, so! Remember that thing sometime ago about how female LCs are totally capable of getting other women pregnant via Magic, but the last one was so long ago that nobody remembers it now?

Anyway, I wondered how it would come up for fem!Regis and also who would be Noctis' other parent, before realising how Funny it would be to combine the two.

Thus, Regis finds out because she maybe accidentally knocked up her bff / friend with benefits / sometime-girlfriend Aulea.

Aulea is Not Impressed.

OH I LOVE IT

“So,” Regis starts because she does not really now how to start this conversation, “Are you on birth control?”

Aulea’s stare is scathing. Regis, by virtue of the fact she is a Princess, does not squirm under those piercing blue eyes despite everything in her wishing that Aulea would stop looking at her like that.

Aulea does not leave Regis hanging, because after rendering her judgement Aulea nods.

“I am,” Aulea says and oh her tone is too sweet for this conversation and freezes any relief Regis might have felt.

Regis is right to be wary.

Aulea’s gaze sharpens.

“However you did still put a baby in me, so I think I deserve some compensation.”

Regis’ brain stalls.

“What?”

“You got me pregnant,” Aulea is merciless with her words and stare, “You are the only one I’ve slept with and I have been freaking out ever since it was confirmed. It’s only right I get something out of it.”

“Would you like a kingdom?” Regis offers.

“Oh Astrals no,” Aulea says, “Besides, if that’s a proposal you’ll have to do better. I want a fancy ring at the very least.”

“So you don’t want a kingdom?”

Aulea sniffs.

“I want you,” she says, “The kingdom is an unwanted add on.”

(After Noctis - their son - is born Aulea stares Regis down and clutches Regis’ hand so tightly the Queen winces.

“You’re having the next one,” Aulea threatens, “I don’t care how it happens, you’re having the next one.”)

[blackoutawolf-blog]

my nokori's lore

felt the urge to write out the backstory of my nokori and his details in the way i am good at lol so im gonna write it as an interview since im better at conversational stuff.

Holy Truth sat across from the nokori to be questioned, he resembled a white fured wolf purple inner ears and black lips, black horns atop his head curling around under his ears, he sat back and grined and holy noted a few things, first the scaring around his neck and chest, then that his shoulders and wings where black and feathered connecting to his black wings, and the miscolloured eyes

Holy:"hello, name?" Nokori:"noctis" Holy:"Noctis, last name?" Noctis:"no" Holy:"i see moving on tell me how you ended up at silvers"

Noctis sighed then began "i was born cursed born a devil blood, and spent my life with it pushing me to hurt people, heck when my sister vanished people thought i did it, but i kept looking doing good where i could manage..." Holy:"how does this..." Noctis:"let me continue, as i was saying im someone who tries to do good, namely when i was out by the bridge i saw a six eared nokori being faced down by a group of thugs, i felt trouble especially when someone came up behind her and hit her with a bat, they laied into her for about five seconds before i stoped them and helped her back to health, she showed me to her home and i learned her name eveline, cute kid, from then id help them all out when i could till i was taken"

Noctis breathed heavilly and holy knew this was difficult for him but he still continued

"when i awoke they made me watched as they put that transmutation ritual together and put me into it, forcing me to change, things are a blur from pain till i became this minus the wings, ill get to that, they used me, my power to alter change and to cause it they made me use that ritual to give them nokori they wanted, to keep my in line they used a shock harness it would zap me hard when i tried to resist, then about a year into it i was zaped for so hard that i wished for anything to be different then...i was i changed became use monsterous and incontrol it scared them so i tore my way through the lab, and found how they powered everything a black feathered nokori i remember was my sister i remember they showed me her change but i cant remember it now, i broke her how and we tore through the labs together, her lightning and my teleporting claws, but even as we got out we...where dying, cut open and bloody and would have died there but she made me promise to live she made me transmute her into my body, the last transmutation ive done without aid of a circle, then i ran to the only safe place i could think of"

Noctis had tears in his eyes when holy spoke "im sorry, can you recall the ritual?" noctis shook his head "its hazy, and i start to panic if i think to much about it, trauma i guess youd call it, and before you asked no my powers cant change nokori back i tried, its not strong enough any more i can change my form but the rituals magic is still binding changing others is tricky and exhausting without any externam mana aid"

Holy:"you can use magic?" Noctis:"yeah i learned down dark magic and demon blooded magic before my change and i still have those memories, but its limited" Holy:"and your sister?" Noctis's eyes flared beforehe spoke his voice different "im here"

credits Nokori species and Holy Truth by @lordsalissoon

[krisssssssy]

I saw your take on Ardyn's birthday placing him a Taurus. Any opinions on fandom sunshine child Prompto being born on October 25th. Making his sun sign a Scorpio?

I think he might have a secondary sign be Sagittarius. But given his codependency with Nox, maybe libra?

Idk what are your opinions?

Prompto 😭 So yeah, he definitely gives off having JUST a Scorpio sun (though he does have a little of like, a punk look to him, which feels Scorpio-inspired), and considering Sagittarius follows after, I do think having a few Sagittarius placements (or Libra) makes sense.

Especially if we consider how overly positive he is. Now, he could genuinely be a very positive person (which would be reflected in the Jupiter-ruled sign of Sag), but his tendency to hide his own past, his tougher emotions, and remain cheerful for the sake of the group dynamic - that feels more Libra.

ALSO. Being into photography does make more sense for someone with some Libra placements: Venus-ruled, more creative, and especially when you think about what photography is, which is often creating balance of light, dark, as well as balance with the objects that appear in the frame as well - Libra seems like a good zodiacal archetype that supports photography.

So Prompto would be a Scorpio sun, with either a Libra, Scorpio, or Sagittarius mercury, and then I believe Venus can only be up to two signs apart, so he's either a virgo, scorpio, libra, sag, or cap venus. I think Libra Venus makes a lot of sense. We also never see him get angry, like, considering his past and everything he's such a genuinely good person it makes me cry 😭 And the Libra Venus would also potentially bring up the codependency you mentioned.

I kind of think maybe his tendency to make silly jokes and bring levity to conversations is more of a Sagittarius mercury thing. And Scorpio as a sign is also a placement that tends to stay loyal to a few people, and Prompto seemed to latch onto Noctis pretty quickly when they were in school (in the brotherhood anime), and went to great lengths to secure their friendship (like losing weight, something he literally didn't have to do).

I also want to say, I like the idea of astrology existing in this world to color Prompto's personality, because he IS different from Besithia (and would have entirely different birthdays), they just share, really, a skill with technology, except Prompto's entire reason to use weapons is simply to assist his friends (more Libra things). Although being so friend-oriented does call Aquarius into question as well, but I think Libra as a sign has more of an interest in partnerships (i.e. Noctis being his best friend) versus Aquarius, which is more about the group dynamic as a whole.

Like let's say he's an Aries rising, which would be Aries in the 1st house, so giving him a more "muted "Aries nature, i.e maybe more impulsive, a little impatience, more childlike and innocent, and then that would be Libra in the 7th, so say Libra Venus in the 7th, and then a Scorpio sun in the 8th (an 8th house sun would be more "hidden" but also emphasize his loyalty, and willingness to risk his life for someone he is close to). Although then that would make him a Mars-ruled person, tho he is highly motivated...idk I haven't totally thought this through lmao, I just wanted Libra sitting in the 7th house, to emphasize his focus on partnerships/closeness, and that puts Aries in the 1st!

I haven't given much thought to the Chocobros astrological placements, except, I mean, Gladio is definitely an Aries with an Aries Mars lmao. And probably Aries mercury too, dude has NO tact.

I can't write anything more coherent about this than a ramble unfortunately lol. Although Prompto is my favorite character aside from Ardyn, so I have given some thought to this prior to your question.

[gingerel]

Prompto thinks his sister might be in love.

A little ficlet sequel to Harbinger written for @mathclasswarfare

They’re separated by a table laden down with offerings wrought by Ignis and Monica’s hands, but Prompto keeps his eyes fixed on Luna as she mingles amongst the other Gods.

A sacrifice, truly, when Prompto’s favourite thing to do at these gatherings is spy on Noctis. In the scant few moments, they’re not together anyway. He’s changed in the past years, still shy and under-socialised but always trying, definitely easier with the people that know him best. Even now, he’s trapped under Gladio’s arm, weakly fighting him off as he and Nyx laugh at whatever is making Noctis scowl.

Prompto will rescue him in a minute, it’s just—

Prompto thinks his sister might be in love.

Selena has Luna’s full attention, standing together across the way from Prompto, but enough he can’t eavesdrop on what they’re saying. He thinks magic might have something to do with that, but he doesn’t know who has both the ability and foresight to set something up just to muffle sound. Suddenly, Selena laughs and Luna doesn’t, but her whole face goes a little soft, eyes widening and body leaning in towards her friend.

When Selena’s laugh peters out Luna starts talking and Selena focuses in turn. Prompto doesn’t know Selena well enough, not even after all these years now, to read if her expression turns as intensely or as tenderly as Luna’s obviously does.

Prompto’s staring, which is rude, but he can’t seem to stop himself.

It’s odd, right? Not that Luna can be in love but that she seems to feel that way and is doing nothing about it. She’s confident, she doesn’t like secrets, she sees what she wants, and she goes about getting it.

Prompto’s here isn’t he? Luna didn’t know it would work out quite as well as it did, but she put the wheels in motion. Prompto’s feelings about his family are a mess at the best of times, but he has to give Luna some credit for a fraction of the happiness he feels now.

For a moment, Iris steals Selena’s attention making their duo a trio, and though it’s obvious to Prompto that Iris intends for Luna to be included in the conversation too, Luna’s eyes don’t leave Selena’s face, more concerned with her response than formulating her own.

A warm arm hooks Prompto around the waist and he only avoids jumping clear off the floor because Noctis drags him backwards into his firm chest with a little hum.

“Why are you being weird?” Noctis asks quietly.

“I’m not being weird,” Prompto says quickly, craning his neck to look at Noctis’ face to catch him arching one perfect eyebrow.  “I’m always weird?” Prompto tries.

Briefly, Noctis squeezes him tighter, laughing low in his ear in a way that makes Prompto feel all warm in his chest.  It cuts through any annoyance Prompto might feel at Noctis’ uncharacteristic and awkwardly timed perceptiveness.

“Spill,” Noctis insists, arm loosening enough for Prompto to turn around in his arms. “Do I need to fight someone?”

Prompto laughs, though Noctis undoubtedly could and maybe would go toe to toe with anyone here if they upset Prompto enough. Might win too, now he’s gotten a handle on his magic. Gently, and quickly, Prompto kisses the corner of Noctis’ mouth, suddenly and deeply filled with a gratitude he can’t place.

“No fighting,” Prompto says. “I’m just being nosy.”

Noctis taps his fingertips against the small of Prompto’s back.

“What about?”

Prompto considers lying, or at least sidestepping the question for now. Gossiping isn’t something he enjoys—or nothing he’ll even admit to enjoying, anyway—but if he’s going to talk to anyone about it, it has to be Noctis.

“Do you think,” Prompto says. “That maybe Luna might—have feelings for Selena?”

Noctis rears back as much as he can without completely pulling away.

“What?”

“I mean,” Prompto defends. “She looks at Selena all heart-eyes and they spend so much time together.”

Noctis stares at him for a few moments, before rolling his eyes up towards the sky.

“Oh, I see,” Noctis drawls. “It’s barely been a decade and you’re bored.”

“No!” Prompto cries loudly, laughing. Must have been too loud, because almost every other person in the space turns to glance at them. “Not bored—never bored.”

Noctis drops his waist, but only so he can stroke the backs of his fingers along Prompto’s jaw. He smiles just a little, watching Prompto’ with eyes so soft, so patient and—

Noctis looks at him the way Luna looks at Selena.

“I really think I’m onto something,” Prompto breathes.

Noctis glances over at the girls, eyes only lingering for a few seconds before he’s focusing on Prompto again.

“Okay, say you’re right,” Noctis says, the curl of his mouth making it obvious he’s only humouring him. “It’s not like we can do anything about it.”

“They should be together,” Prompto insists quietly.

“That would be hard for them,” Noctis says. “You know, because they’re—”

“Ignis and Nyx are different seasons,” Prompto argues. “So were we, once.”

“Ignis and Nyx aren’t both Gods of,” Noctis reminds him. “Selena and Luna could never live together. And if we couldn’t—we’d still—I’d still…”

Noctis struggles, words Prompto knows but Noctis still occasionally struggles to say.

“You’d still love me?” Prompto breathes.

Noctis nods. “Always. But not being able to live with you—imagine that?”

Prompto does, but only briefly, because the concept is so terrible. 

Noctis looks sad, and Prompto aches somehow. He doesn’t know how they got here so fast, but he darts forward, pressing a soft kiss to Noctis’ mouth and threading the fingers of one hand into his hair to help soothe them, to remind themselves of how lucky they are to have found each other.

It’s Noctis that pushes forward to make it linger and Prompto doesn’t even think to push him away. It doesn't matter that the event is half formal, though much less fraught than Prompto’s been led to believe they were before once upon a time. When Prompto wasn’t really around, back when Noctis was simultaneously more and less than he is now. The world could dissipate to nothing but them for the rest of eternity and Prompto would be okay, would relish each and every second that he and Noctis are near each other, talking and touching and—

Noctis jerks forward, biting Prompto’s lip and crushing their noses together. Prompto presses the back of his hand against his mouth to soothe the sudden ache while Noctis whirls around to glare at where Nyx, Gladio and Ignis are standing.

Ignis is pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Did you just throw ice at me?” Noctis demands. Nyx shakes out his hand and water droplets splatter onto the grass.

“Stop canoodling in public,” Gladio teases, any attempt at being stern swallowed up by his smile.

“We’re not—we weren't…” Noctis stammers. “Shut up.”

“Smooth,” Nyx laughs.

“Nice come back,” Gladio puts him.

Noctis scowls, and Prompto clutches his arm, half burying his face in his shoulder so Noctis won’t feel betrayed by the fact he too can’t stop smiling.

[ipcearn]

A short and dirty review of Wuthering Waves after playing a couple of days (yes, I am a Genshin player but I will keep the comparisons to a minimum, it’s obvious they are very similar, it doesn’t need repeating 50 times, I will add a little section at the end comparing them based on my own enjoyment, but I want to judge this game on its own merit above all)

The game did start off on a bad note for me since there was no way to change the text language until after the first whole cutscene was done

I had changed the launcher to English before starting the game, and the voice over was thankfully in English but it definitely annoyed me not to have an option on the start up screen for things like that, I assume it based it off of my pc’s language but I could have that set to German for a variety of reasons least of all because I have a German keyboard and the layouts are different

(Also the German translation definitely didn’t seem like it was written by a native? There were just a few things slightly off on the grammar that threw me off just in that first conversation, nothing big but I wanted to mention it)

I googled even if I missed a setting somewhere since that is what I usually assume, but it seems like I wasn’t blind and that option is just not available until you actually gain control of your character and can open the menu

But after that point it was a quick and immediate change thankfully and yeah, the English VA’s are a bit weak in places, but I wouldn’t call that a big deal, it’s a Chinese game and probably focused on the Chinese market overall with everywhere else as a nice bonus (I actually learned a lot about this due to Genshin when CC drama arose there and Mihoyo only ever really started acting when Chinese CC’s were affected)

But ohhhh, combat is where this game really shines, it is so much fun

The intro and outro attacks, the echos, the dodges and parries

Just a very solid system that is a lot of fun for a Souls Veteran like me heavily relying on player response time

Also music as a big theme for combat? Really intriguing

And I do love the tutorials you can play for every character in your roster; yes it has the trial thing to test them directly, but once you get a character having that detailed tutorial in how you can play them is really great

I am also really loving the aesthetic of this game? It has that FF15 theme of marrying fantasy and modern technology which I really love (and not just because Yhan looks like grown up Noctis)

I have heavy critiques of a lot of the character designs, and also praises in other places, but that is honestly just par for the course with these games (neither Genshin, Honkai or FF for that matter are spared of that, I can get very harsh on the designs)

But I do enjoy the characters otherwise, and Rover's story is intriguing (I played up to Huanglong I - Act V Rewinding Raindrops) and I do want to learn more

What else would be interesting to mention?

Exploration is really, really fun, the puzzles are straight forward, not too challenging, not too easy and the sprint not consuming stamina out of combat is so nice

I'd absolutely recommend giving this game a shot, it has a lot of really enjoyable parts that can capture people for a long, long time

I will probably drop in and out of playing it after this initial start, since the story doesn't capture me the same way Genshin did, but that is honestly just a personal preference I also drop in and out of Honkai Star Rail since that story doesn't intrigue me as much as Genshin's does either

-

Now my direct comparison between Genshin and WuWa:

Genshin is build around the elemental reactions boosting damage output and WuWa lacks that, but I will admit I do enjoy WuWa's more player driven combat more (AND I ADORE THAT WUWA DOES NOT HAVE THE PHYSICAL DAMAGE WHY DOES IT EXIST I DO NOT UNDERSTAND)

I made a post about this just when I started Genshin how I missed a Dodge or Parry and WuWa gives that

But WuWa's teams are also limited to 3 characters instead of 4 which sometimes makes it feel slower? I don't know if that word fits, but that is my impression (obvi that might just be the characters I have chosen and how much more switching in Genshin is used for the reactions)

I like Genshin's Exploration more, but I do admit to liking WuWa's puzzles more

But when it comes down to it, Genshin's story, characters and lore compel me the most

It's also why HSR can only hold my attention in short bursts, because while intrigued, I am not compelled to follow through on it

[calling4glaives]

Day 7 Recap

What an amazing week! Thank you all who participated by creating or supporting works!

Here's the roundup for the final day. Remember, if you still want to create for the week, please please do! We'll update and reblog as we see them. (And please, send us a message if we've missed anything!)

Title: Late Night Romp Author: StarJunco Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Relationships: Cor / Nyx Summary/Excerpt:

Nyx's late night "feline tactical training" is interrupted by his boyfriend. And, more importantly, his boyfriend's cellphone camera. ----- A Kitty!Nyx story. Does not require knowledge of previous stories.

Title: The Blind Date Author: StarfighterSparks Link: Ao3 Relationships: Noctis / Nyx Summary/Excerpt:

For NyxWeek 2023 On a hot summer night, Nyx walks towards his favorite food joint to order some meat skewers and Galahd Brew. He has a date tonight. A blind date, actually, and he’d rather be out with Libertus and Crowe than entertaining a stranger. But here he is, annoyed at Crowe for forcing him to come. As he waits for his date to show up, though, Nyx can’t stop thinking about Noctis. The one man he can’t have. And as he assumed being stood up, someone unexpected stops at his table and turns his night upside down.

Title: A Prince and a Princeling: Chapter 7: Planning the Future Author: Niaswish / Shiary Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Relationships: Noctis / Nyx Summary/Excerpt:

A much needed conversation between the 2 princes provides them with a clear plan for their future.

Title: Clean-up Duty Author: Awlwren Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Relationships: Titus & Nyx Summary/Excerpt:

He woke up when something hit his shoulder, and he bolted upright, summoning his sword defensively. There was no one above him, no one in his immediate vicinity, in fact. With no one shouting at him, either, that they needed to move or that there was immediate need, he relaxed slightly and looked to see what had hit him. It was one of the lunch packs from the lab. In which Nyx and Drautos have a moment of rest and recovery, and, because it's the two of them, some danger just for fun. Day 7 of Nyx Week 2023 - Free Day Day 18 of Whumptober 2022 - Take My Coat Drautos's POV to WWFL's "Brace Yourself"

Title: A Coeurl’s Home:  Author: Firechocobros Link: Ao3 Relationships: Clarus / Regis / Nyx Trigger Warnings: Explicit Summary/Excerpt:

In which there is a press conference and everyone is done being ashamed.

Title: When We First Met Author: Blossom Adventures Link: Tumblr Summary/Excerpt:

Nyx had just dressed after a quick shower - he and Luche had just finished 3 laps of the HQ perimeter - and began to make his way out the building when he passed the outdoor training arena, where her could hear wooden weapons clashing.

Title: Lightning Strikes the Night Sky Author: WhoStarLocked Link:Tumblr, Ao3 Summary/Excerpt

Lumina’s Rise was considered hallowed ground. It was supposedly the site where Ramuh had first welcomed their people to Galahd, and although they got storms all year round and the Rise being the tallest thing in the area, it was extremely rare that the rock actually got hit. Lightning striking Lumina’s Rise was significant. “Thea!” “Bakir, Libertus.” She replied hesitantly, dread coiling in her gut. “Where’s Nyx?” 

Title: Hard Day's Night Author: Garbria / Loki_chan Link: Tumblr, Ao3 Summary/Excerpt:

Cor has trouble sleeping while Nyx is deployed.

[savage-rhi]

"no, you didn't just call me 'love' you said 'my love'. that makes a huge difference." Ignis and noct?

Noctis's head was swimming around with so many thoughts that he thought he would drown. The migraine he had carried all day didn't help things. Much less did his posture tamper down the ache as he was sitting slouched forward on a stool near the kitchen island of his apartment with his head laying against the countertop.

Occasionally, Noctis's gaze would follow Ignis as he went about cooking dinner. Tonight was fresh poultry from Insomnia's upper district, along with some imported fruits from Tenebrae. He could smell the seasonings Ignis doused the meat in, and he felt his stomach rumble at the prospects of having a decent meal instead of instant noodles which had become an addiction so bad it would put Gladio to shame.

There was a lot that went through his mind. Assignments long past due, people at school still treating him different because he was royalty, and of course there was a fine helping of guilt as he continued to observe Ignis.

"Can I ask you something?" Noctis near grumbled under his breath as he raised his head from the countertop.

"If it's cheating on your writing assignment, the answer remains a solid no." Ignis said as a matter of fact as he closed the fridge door.

"You're no fun," Noctis playfully mocked. He sighed and propped his chin under his arm. "Why did you call me that earlier?"

"Hm?"

"The love thing."

Ignis shrugged. "I called you love as a term of endearment like I do for everyone else back at the palace."

"No," Noctis shook his head. "You didn't just call me 'love', you said 'my love'. That makes a huge difference."

Ignis didn't reply and kept going through the motions to get dinner ready. Noctis glared all the while, feeling a strange tension start in his throat and working its way down to his stomach. He didn't like it when people weren't direct with him. He especially hated it when his father, the great king himself performed such tactics to avoid a serious conversation he was in no mood to entertain.

Right at the precipice before Noctis was about to explode, did Ignis clear his throat as he began to sauté the meat.

"Let me put it this way," Ignis began. "We've known each other for quite some time, and the simple term of 'love' doesn't quite extend the warmth I want to convey."

"Warmth?" Noctis muttered.

"Correct," Ignis gave a nod and turned the heat down on the meat. "You're not simply my master and I your servant in the same vein as you're not my son and I am not your secondary parent. We're beyond these two points as far as I'm concerned. In addition, by no means are we friends."

"So what does that make us then?" Noctis felt himself getting more confused by the second. He closed his eyes for a short moment only to flinch and open them back up as Ignis gently placed down dinner in front of him.

"I'd like to think of us as brothers, and in my family, we affectionately referred to one another as 'my love' in that case."

Noctis looked between the meal and Ignis, unsure of what to say as he could feel the weight of Ignis's words. He was happy the silence didn't linger too long as Ignis spoke again.

"If it offends his majesty, perhaps I can--"

"No," Noctis interrupted. He shook his head and leaned up further in his seat. "It doesn't offend me, I just--"

He really didn't know what to say, and made a fist when he thought back to his earlier outburst. Ignis didn't deserve the flighty tantrum of a brooding teenager, yet Noctis knew he gave him a taste and then some. However, unlike his father, Ignis stuck around even amidst the chaos.

Ignis wasn't his father. He wasn't Regis.

When Noctis really thought it through, he realized neither man deserved the cold shoulder he had been freely giving to them both.

His eyes began to brim with tears.

"Noct?"

"I don't deserve that." Noctis admitted bitterly. "It's something special, and I'm not--"

"Oh Noct," Ignis sighed. He shook his head and approached Noctis and gave him a pat on the shoulder before he was soon embraced with a warm hug. He smiled as Noctis finally released the sadness that had been building up within himself, and comforted him while he cried.

If you like my work and feel generous, feel free to donate to my ko-fi account or my cash app account!

Cash App: $JayRex1463

[thisfairytalegonebad]

"What we are is but a choice" - a Final Fantasy XV fanfiction

Written for Vol. 3 of Zibe Time, a multifandom/original works, anything-goes zine! This run's theme was Pride. Every participant was assigned a colour of the original Gilbert Baker Pride flag and did their piece according to the meaning of their colour in the context of the Pride flag. I was assigned the colour red which stands for life.

You can download the zine for free here, and its official Twitter is here. And here, you can find all volumes of the zine that have been published thus far.

Title: What we are is but a choice Fandom: FFXV Word Count: 4K Relationships: Ignis & Gladio & Prompto & Noctis, Ignis/OMC Summary:

Ignis is 13 when he comes out to his uncle. He never has a grand revelation about his sexuality. It’s something that just is, something he’s been all his life and thus has never given much thought. or... Glimpses into Ignis' life throughout the years.

Read the first ~1000 words below the cut and the entire fic here on AO3!

Ignis is 13 when he comes out to his uncle.

He never has a grand revelation about his sexuality. It’s something that just is, something he’s been all his life and thus has never given much thought.

That is until puberty hits and he starts to actually become aware of boys in a more tangible way.

Of course, between the distinct lack of boys his age at the citadel, where he spends most of his day, and his very full schedule, nothing much comes of it. But it does make him think that this is something he should perhaps tell his uncle. Unlike for Gladio or Noct, eventually, there isn’t pressure for him to get married and produce an heir, but Ignis isn’t sure if it’s something that might cause problems for him later down the line.

He’s nervous when he asks his uncle to have a talk one late night when they’re sharing a meal Ignis cooked. It’s rare for them to be home at the same time, and even rarer for the both of them to have enough downtime to slow down and have a conversation, so Ignis snatches the opportunity with both hands and pushes on, despite the fact that his heart is beating uncomfortably fast in his chest.

Ignis doesn’t even know why he’s nervous. His uncle is a kind man, beneath the stiff and formal exterior Ignis has long adopted himself. His uncle is also the black sheep of their family, on account of having never married and favouring a busy life with few close relationships. There’s no way he’s going to reject Ignis for something as mundane as his sexual orientation.

And yet.

“What did you want to talk about?” his uncle asks, once they’ve finished their meal and Ignis has run out of dishes to wash. There’s no way his uncle didn’t pick up on the obvious stalling, but mercifully, he doesn’t mention it.

Ignis brings two cups of tea to the coffee table in the living room. His hands are shaking ever so slightly, but his uncle ignores that too and makes his way over to his armchair.

There’s no reason to drag this out any further or try to talk around the issue, Ignis knows, so he wraps both hands around the mug to keep them from trembling, takes a deep breath, and dives headfirst into the conversation.

“Uncle, I’m gay. It’s something I’ve always been aware of, I suppose, but I felt you ought to know, too.”

He fights the urge to look away, instead holding his uncle’s gaze for the few uncomfortable seconds it takes the man to start talking.

“Well, that’s—no offense, Ignis, but that’s something I’ve known for a long time, too,” his uncle says, not unkindly.

Whatever Ignis expected to hear, this certainly isn’t it.

A small, strangled noise is all Ignis manages, all his usual eloquence going right out the window. 

“Am I really that obvious?!”

His uncle offers him a small smile and leans forward a bit, fixing Ignis with his gaze. 

“Perhaps a bit. But keep in mind, I’ve known you since you were a child. Also, I daresay I’m simply a tad more observant than most people, wouldn’t you agree? I don’t believe you have a reason to worry.”

Ignis nods, feeling slightly light-headed. 

“And… you don’t mind?”

His voice sounds smaller than intended, embarrassingly fragile even to his own ears. It’s clear his uncle has also picked up on it, judging from his little frown and the way his face grows serious.

“Of course not, Ignis, did you expect me to?”

Thankfully, Ignis doesn’t have to answer that because his uncle continues almost immediately.

“I simply want you to be happy, my dear boy. However that happiness may look.”

And, oh, that catches Ignis by surprise, coming from a man who so rarely shares his true feelings and has never been overly affectionate even when Ignis was a child.

His eyes sting a little, but he nods, not quite trusting his voice with words just yet.

“I just ask that you be careful,” his uncle sighs. “The Citadel is still full of old people with outdated worldviews, and if the wrong person gets an impression of you that they deem unacceptable, they may make your life miserable for it. You’d do well to keep your private life as much under wraps as you do the Prince’s.”

Ignis nods again, not really surprised. He doesn’t expect anything else, has already seen enough of the more conservative councilmembers and the way they treat anyone who doesn't fit into their narrow-minded ideals.

“Of course. It won’t cause any issues. I’ll make sure of it.”

----

Ignis is 17 when he falls in love for the first time.

True to his words, the people at the Citadel remain clueless about his love life. Certainly, there are a few rumors about his sexuality here and there because he never shows any interest in any woman apart from the expected polite exchanges, but he’s never seen showing interest in anyone who would confirm their suspicions, either. Ignis, after all, has grown up with the concept of discretion being drilled into his head due to his proximity to the Prince.

He comes out to Gladio, eventually, and then to Noct too, but as expected, neither of them particularly cares and life continues much in the same fashion until Ignis is 17.

What changes at 17 is that one night at a social gathering, Ignis is approached by a young man as briefly steps out on the balcony for some fresh air.

The man introduces himself as Sebastian, and Ignis recognises him as the son of a councilmember. Their similarity is striking, but the same features that make the father appear unapproachable, detached and consistently constipated look enticing enough on the son’s face that Ignis is intrigued.

They exchange numbers and a promise to be in touch, both knowing that they cannot risk anything at an event like this.

When Ignis gets home that night, there is a message already waiting for him, and then he falls asleep way later than he should because Sebastian keeps texting him and Ignis cannot bring himself to cut their conversation short.

They communicate mostly through text for a few weeks until Sebastian officially asks him to be his boyfriend, and Ignis feels stupid with excitement and giddiness when he texts back “Yes” with shaky fingers.

And for more than a year, Ignis is happy, happier than he ever remembers being. He’s been content before, certainly, but there is something about the way Sebastian makes his heart flutter that makes him realise how far removed his experiences are from those of a normal teenager. It’s his honour and his greatest pride, of course, to stand tall beside Noctis until the boy grows into a King who sits the throne. 

And yet, the terrifyingly thrilling new experience of a romantic relationship unlocks a secret longing in him, a desire to get a taste of what being young feels like.

Still, that’s all just silly, pointless thinking, so Ignis brushes it aside and focuses on his relationship with Sebastian. 

It’s safe to say Ignis is in love, and even though he wishes they didn’t have to keep meeting in secret, he’s glad Sebastian understands the societal pressure that comes with their status and never pushes him to make their relationship public.

----

Read the entire fic here!

[aerisleis-fics]

2023 Writing in Review

I did an ao3 wrapped thing and mostly this is closer to the art wrapped where its one piece from each month. Some months don't have pieces (and that's okay.) I also kind of want to take a moment to reflect on what I hope to accomplish next year and what I (feel like I) accomplished this year. That'll all go at the end.

Total number of works posted this year topped out at 36 choosing one work for each month was hard as hell. But I tried to choose the one I was most proud of or felt like I did something that stretched my skill in. This feels long so under a cut it goes.

January-March: Nothing posted. Creative hibernation, if you will.

April: Nightmares and Horrors (RWBY) Speculative Post Volume 8 ending. Ruby wakes up alone in an unfamiliar world, wounded, tired, and terrified. It doesn't get a lot better from there.

May: Aligned Between Us (FFVII) Zack and Cloud finally have a real conversation about everything. Also featuring Tifa being a good friend!

June: Beginning Where We Ended (FFVII) Instead of waking up in the church after his (near) death at the hands of Sephiroth’s remnants, Cloud wakes up on the wasteland outside of Midgar over two years before. Zack faces down Shinra’s infantry, and Cloud finds he has the strength to change history.

But to do that, Cloud has to face it all again, while warring with his own splintered psyche. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to do it alone, if only he’d remember that.

July: Moments of Peace (FFVII) Quick meeting with Reeve of the WRO and Tseng of the Turks, and then the Boys have a Night in the Costa Del Sol home before the rest of their trip.

August: Unrealistic Expectations (FFXV) After nearly failing the trial of the Tidemother, Noctis stands precariously balanced between his duty, his emotions, and his body’s need for rest. The Prince fails to heed Lunafreya’s warning about taking it easy, and his friends find the hard way that Noctis hasn’t been truthful with them.

September: What Makes a Monster (FFVII) With only hours separating Zack from the massacre of Nibelheim, he does the best he can to stop it from happening.

October: Saving the Hero (FFVII) A pair of scenes centering in on Sephiroth saving Zack, and Zack - in his own way - saving Sephiroth in return.

November: Recordings for Sleeping (FFVII) At first it had been disheartening - was he that boring to talk to? But over time, Zack had come to understand that it wasn’t that it was boring. It was that Sephiroth had come to associate Zack talking with a sense of peace and the fact that things were okay, so he could relax - and, subsequently, could rest. It was incredibly touching, now that Zack understood it better.

December: Pause, Rewind, Restart (FFVII) Cloud and Marlene are visiting the church when they find themselves pulled backward into the past. With no way back home, Cloud sets himself to doing the best he can to make sure that this future goes better than the one they came from because he can't just do nothing.

Reflections

This year was kind of wild, I ended up absolutely hip deep in a fandom I have loved for a really long time but avoided for a number of reasons. And I didn't just wade in slowly, no I dove right in and I'll admit I'm kind of having the time of my life. As can... probably seen by the sheer number of fics for that specific fandom that I've posted. I crossed the 75 fic marker this year! And I'm so close to the 100 fic marker that I'm vibrating. It feels big it feels like I've accomplished something.

In the new year I want to get better at interacting on my social media again. I want to post snippets and thoughts and ideas rather than just appearing for long enough to like. Drop the newest fic and disappearing into the void. I also, of course, look forward to writing (and finishing!) more projects. I've still got a lot sitting in wip land that I look forward to sharing with everyone.

I don't know what 2023 will hold but I'm thankful for all the support so far and I look forward to seeing where it brings me next year.

[sparklecryptid]

All the Bastards verse meets Dissidia!

Whichever Bastard was summoned as Spiritus' champion did not actually mind (much) - it was some time since they had an opportunity to spar with their siblings and just cut loose. And here, there's no chance that random people will stumble upon them and blow the entire bloodline secret wide open.

Except when they track down Materia's champions it's not any of the usual suspects who got summoned. Nope, it's their baby brother!

(Noctis would like to protest that he's 15, not a baby. Since the Bastards are older then him by anywhere between 8 and 13 years, nobody listens to him.)

Whether or not the Bastard manages to keep their identity secret, or if Regis and co have some way of seeing what is happening in Dissidia is up to you :)

Jupiter would like it put on the record that she has never done anything wrong in her life ever. Her siblings who would claim that she is lying know nothing. Every act of vengeance against them for their petty pranks has been well deserved.

That being said, Jupiter is having the time of her life. She gets to regularly clash with some of the strongest people she's ever seen - sure her own companions are weird as uncle is but you can't have everything - and there is nothing stopping her from using her magic to almost it's full extent.

(Almost because Jupiter would rather not leave everything a crater. She knows damn well that her family has no idea that how far they can go and how far they should go are different things.)

So Jupiter has fun.

She has fun until she sees an Astrals damn child on the battlefield. Her baby brother is fighting with a blond man against Sephiroth and Jupiter acts before she thinks.

She warps over and blocks an attack from Mr. Chocobo and with a flick of her wrist erects a shield that stops Sephiroth from skewering her baby brother.

"Hey," she says and ignores how Noctis looks confused and betrayed. It makes her want to pinch his cheeks. "Mr. Flowing Locks! If you leave my brother to me I'll leave Mr. Chocobo here to you. If you don't-" A grin that has sent lesser men to tears breaks across Jupiters face. "-I have no problem keeping this one to myself."

Sephiroth tries to kill her. Because of course he does.

Jupiter laughs and waves bye to her brother.

-

Later, when they all wind up back in their own world Jupiter and Noctis wind up in their fathers throne room.

Noctis - still in reeling from their conversation about how many siblings he has - immediately searches out his father.

"Dad! What the fuck?"

[bonjovian]

Never Let Me Go: Chapter Twenty-Nine

Masterlist Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Thirty

Word Count: 1,637

Tag List: @arrthurpendragon @seankayser

Noctis wakes the others up after they mysteriously passed out. With a little way yet to go until they arrive in Gralea, Gaia tries to wrap her head around what just happened. It wasn't long until they were in danger again...

"Hey. Wake up," Noctis ordered.

I groaned quietly, groggily getting to my feet. "Son of a bitch," I mumbled. Noctis was sitting down in front of us, breathing heavily.

"What happened?" Gladio asked as he stood. It seemed he and Ignis had the same thing happen.

"I saw the Glacian," Noctis answered. "It's okay, she's gone now. You guys check on our drivers."

"Got it," Gladio nodded. He walked over to Ignis, looking him over. "You good?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Ignis responded. "Let's go." The two of them walked away, leaving just Noctis and me. I was still trying to wake up.

"Gaia, aren't you going to join them?" Noctis turned to look at me.

I perked up a bit from hearing my name. "Huh? Oh, no," I laughed softly. "I'll probably just stay back here for a moment. I am still trying to figure out why I passed out like that."

It was a half-truth. I was trying to figure that out, but one other question was on my mind. How did Noctis see the Glacian if her corpse was outside the train?

Noctis got back to his feet and walked off as well, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sighed and grabbed my journal. I flipped through it, reading bits and pieces of what I wrote when I first set off on this journey.

First meeting Noctis and the others, the disaster that was the first bust-a-base, reaching Altissia... All of it was there. It made me wonder if things could have gone differently.

Maybe Lunafreya would still be alive, maybe Ravus wouldn't be a wanted man, I thought. Maybe Prompto wouldn't be missing. Tears brimmed my eyes and I blinked them away.

It was both comforting and sad to reread everything I experienced. After a while, Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis came back to the train car I was in.

"We should be drawing close to Gralea," Ignis spoke after a moment.

Gladio crossed his arms as he took a seat. "Can't imagine what it'll be like."

"Swarming with daemons, but you knew that," Noctis responded with a shrug.

Gladio scoffed. "Don't remind me."

"It wasn't always like that, at least, from what I remember," I chimed in. "But I also lived just on the outskirts." I looked out the window. It was incredibly dark out.

"Though I do have to laugh at the karma of it all," I spoke again after a moment. "Ironic how the empire made magiteks from daemons, yet they can't control them themselves."

"Once we arrive, we'll make for the Keep," Ignis spoke, changing the subject to our strategy.

"The Keep?" Noctis asked.

"Zegnautus," Ignis elaborated. "An imperial mega fortress said to be impregnable."

"With Prompto and the Crystal inside it," Noctis muttered.

"Oh, wonderful," I groaned.

"What goes in must come out," Gladio smirked. He then changed the subject. "So, are we buying this story that the Crystal can purge daemons?"

"The proof is in the purging, but it does stand to reason," Ignis answered.

"Hopefully the Crystal doesn't think I'm a daemon," I laughed awkwardly. 

Ignis continued, "We've observed that as the nights have grown longer, the daemon hordes have grown stronger. If they are in fact averse to the Crystal's light, it could save not only Lucis, but the world." 

Noctis chuckled softly. "We'll find out once we take it back." 

The train's brakes squealed, interrupting our conversation.  I winced at the noise. 

"The hell?" Gladio grumbled as he stood up. We were stopped in the middle of a tunnel. 

"What is it?" Ignis asked. 

"My guess? Something to sidetrack us." Gladio made his way toward the front of the train. 

I looked over at Noctis and Ignis before getting up and following Gladio. Something just didn't seem right. We barely entered another train car before the windows cracked. The train shook violently, knocking us to the ground. We carefully got to our feet, and I looked at the windows once more. They were one attack away from shattering entirely.  

Biggs broke the stunned silence. "City's trying to keep us out... with the daemons," he warned. 

As if on cue, a few goblins jumped against the glass. 

"Gotta run! Don't worry about us!" Biggs told us. 

I quickly turned to look over at Noctis and the others before turning to the windows once again. "Fuck," I whispered. One of the windows shattered, letting some of the daemons inside. 

"Let's get to work," Noctis readied himself to summon his sword. 

Nothing happened. 

"What's wrong?" Gladio asked. 

Noctis tried again. "The weapons... they're stuck!" 

I tried summoning my axe. Nothing. Sword, nothing. "Damn it," I mumbled, trying not to panic. Maybe the tunnel was interfering with the armiger?

"Get back!" Gladio ran forward, kicking one of the goblins away. 

"Run!" Ignis ordered. I looked at Noctis and Gladio once more. We took off in the direction we just came from. At this point, we were outnumbered and it was only a matter of moments before we would eventually be backed against a wall. 

"Uh, what are we going to do when we don't have anywhere else to run?" I yelled to the others, pushing another daemon out of my way. 

"We trade the train for the Regalia!" Ignis responded. "Noct, the freight car!" 

"Keep moving!" Noctis yelled, running ahead of us. 

Finally reaching the regalia, Noctis immediately got behind the wheel. I ran to the passenger side, fumbling with the handle before taking my seat. Prompto's seat. 

"Gun it!" Gladio demanded once we were all inside. Noctis stepped on the gas, the tires squealing as we took off. 

"Threat upgraded." A speaker announced. It was a security system. "Activating level 4 security measures. Sealing all gates." 

"Go go go!" I yelled. Even when we were outside of the daemon-infested train tunnel, we were still in danger. Now we were being shot at. I gripped the seat. In our haste to leave, it seemed none of us paid the seatbelts any mind. With Noctis swerving on the train tracks to dodge both enemy fire and debris, it was most likely the worst decision.

"One clean hit and it's over," Gladio warned. 

"It'll take more than that to stop His Majesty's trusty steed," Ignis reassured us. "Just focus on your driving." 

"I suppose we're lucky they aren't the best shot," I laughed nervously. 

Noctis gripped the wheel tighter, slamming the gas pedal down even more. "You can do it, girl," he hissed, talking to the car. "You can get through this. Come on, old girl!" 

We barely made it through the gate before one last explosion damaged the car. It came to a stop, a somber silence falling over us as the rain began to fall. 

The Regalia was done for. Smoke poured from under the hood. I'm going to miss being crammed in the back seat, I thought to myself. I sighed and looked over at Noctis and the others. 

"That's all she's got," Gladio said, his tone surprisingly quiet. 

"It'll do," Noctis sighed as he opened the door. 

We got out of the car. I remained silent as I looked at it, taking off my sunglasses. "She did a pretty good job," I mumbled. 

We began to make our way forward, Noctis taking one look at the car before whispering, "Dad, thanks for everything." 

Gladio looked over at us, changing the subject. "Are we seriously marching into the capital empty-handed?" He huffed. 

"And with no assurances the Crystal can beat back the daemon hordes," Ignis added. 

"Guess we'll find out the hard way. No turning back now, right?" 

Before us was a train, precariously balanced on rubble. There was enough room for us to go under it, assuming it didn't fall. We carefully approached, Gladio looking it over once more before speaking. "This thing could come down at any time," he muttered.  

"Let's get it over with then," I responded. Just as Noctis was about to walk under it, it dropped a bit. The creaking of the metal echoed around us. He stopped for a moment before running to the other side. 

The train slammed to the ground just after Noctis had made it across. "Hey! Ignis! Gladio! Gaia!" He shouted. 

"Are you alright?" I yelled back. "You didn't get hurt, did you?" 

"I'm going to try to find a way back!" He responded. 

"I suggest we try to do the same," Ignis spoke after a moment. 

We managed to climb onto the train that had fallen in front of us, which provided us with a decent vantage point. 

"Is there a way forward?" Ignis asked. I shrugged. 

"There's a way, but I don't see us going forward without facing off with the daemons," Gladio murmured. 

"But Noctis is going at it alone, we have to get back to him," I responded. "Even if we have to fight barehanded." 

"Perhaps you won't have to," a familiar voice spoke up. Ardyn. He walked over to us from the same side Noctis was on when we got separated. 

"What are you doing here?" Gladio demanded. He held his arms out in front of Ignis and me, a small attempt to protect us. 

"Why I come bearing gifts," Ardyn responded. With a snap of his fingers, our weapons manifested in our hands. "See? Gifts! Now I believe a 'thank you' is in order." 

"After all the shit you put us through?" I scoffed, letting my axe rest against my shoulder. Gladio inched closer to him, brandishing his greatsword. 

The chancellor put his hands in the air as if he were surrendering. "Here I am, helping for a change. But I can see I'm not wanted." He turned and left without another word, leaving us to discuss our plans. 

Why would he give us our weapons back? Surely he would rather us be defenseless. Unless us getting killed wasn't his goal...