#ardyn/reader

[savage-rhi]

Oh boy-

I saw the most recent writing prompts and got SO excited. I had a really hard time picking. There were SO many good ones

But we need Ardyn with the protective writing prompt:

"Whether you like it or not, You're safest with me"

@sillylittlevulpine Thanks for being patient with me hon. I hope you like this, I haven't written for Ardyn in a while and I feel rusty AF. Hope it's okay!

Y/N was no diplomat.

They were a mere common citizen, fed up with the Lucian crown not doing enough to keep the people safe while many starved and were displaced by the war. They themself were on the brink, having lost everything they held dear in the recent skirmish between the kingdom and empire.

It was why they were smuggled amongst provisions on an Imperial air ship, a last ditch effort to try and make a difference on their own terms.

Y/N knew that the moment they set foot in the lands of Niflheim, there were a thousand ways they could die—a thousand tortures that could befall them. Yet the consequences were outweighed by the hope that somehow, out of the mouth of someone lesser, their words might bring an end to the calamities in Lucis, even if it meant bartering with the enemy. However pure their intentions, there were many things Y/N neglected to consider.

They didn't consider being found so soon on board, immediately being treated with contempt.

They didn't consider the welcoming of fists and weapons at their throat, being blamed for crimes they had never heard of—all because of where they had come from.

They didn't consider being paraded around in public, a spectacle to behold as the soldiers escorted them to the Imperial Palace.

They didn't consider the consequences of being brought to the feet of Emperor Aldercapt himself, who was more than willing to dispatch justice in the form of a grandiose beheading in front of his hundreds of guests amidst an Imperial Ceremony. He proclaimed the sudden intrusion as a sign of the Gods' favor, a sacrificial gift on the eve of Niflheim's name day, three days removed from the anniversary of Solheim's ancient calamity.

Out of all these terrifying events that unfolded so quickly, Y/N never considered that the Chancellor himself would step in to call off the execution.

Nor did they anticipate sitting in the man's very chambers at this moment.

It had been several hours since then, and Y/N's heart pounded heavily in their chest remembering what transpired. How Chancellor Izunia managed to undermine Aldercapt's authority and Niflheim's very traditions, but still kept the peace by appealing to logic, reason, and exploiting hundreds of years of superstition in the same breath.

"It's reasonable to assume a token of good faith by the esteemed six who watch over our endeavors. Yet I beseech the council and the Emperor to remember there is always a price to pay from accepting a boon from gods. Unwrapping such a precious gift could very much bring great misfortune to our feet, especially on an eve of celebration and remembrance. I believe on such a rare and auspicious night, that we let the people of the Empire decide our fate. What say you, excellency?"

The crowd erupted with so much enthusiasm, and so much vigor that Aldercapt had no choice but to bend the knee or lest he be cast unfavorably for weeks to come.

Y/N could remember the Emperors ire toward the Chancellor the rest of the evening, but the latter merely smiled and watched as thousands debated before settling on their choice: to let Y/N live, for now.

Y/N knew so little about the Chancellor, but in that short amount of time, understood he was very much a career politician as much as he was a man of the stars, and that made him perhaps more dangerous than anyone Y/N could've been at the mercy of.

Their breath hitched when the doors suddenly opened, and the very man came waltzing in. Y/N noted how his amber eyes seemed to glow under the dimmed light, casting a shiver down their spine.

"Ah, fancy seeing you still awake at this unholy hour!" He faintly smiled; stopping to let out a breath he had been holding.

"Considering the circumstances, how could anyone sleep?" Y/N murmured under their breath, surprised when he chuckled sincerely at their comment

"A fair observation if there ever was one," He remarked amusingly then gestured for Y/N to remain seated at the foot of the bed as soon as he noticed them adjust. "I don't care for curtseys or for you move an inch. It needn't take me long to get comfortable."

Y/N swallowed as the Chancellor walked across the room, watching him pick up a chair from a large desk. For a moment, an intrusive thought of the man throwing the furniture piece at them crossed Y/N's mind, and they were astonished to see the Chancellor gently place the chair in front of them and casually take a seat.

"You caused quite the commotion back there in the grand hall."

His comment took Y/N aback as they blinked; unsure of what to say. It almost sounded like he was complimenting them.

"I think you outperformed me there, Chancellor."

"Please, call me Ardyn."

Y/N made a face. "Ardyn?"

"An unusual name, I know." He grinned. "There's no need for formality in my own dwelling. You can speak freely, more or less."

More or less...Y/N felt a bead of sweat trickle down their head from that remark.

"I wasn't trying to offend or--"

"What do you call yourself?"

"Pardon?"

"What's your name, dear? Last I checked Lucian's could comprehend such a simple question."

And there it is...Y/N could feel the disdain in his words despite his tone being outwardly charming.

"It's Y/N."

"Y/N," Ardyn repeated it a few times to himself, as if allowing his tongue to grow accustomed to a new flavor. "Spare me of sob stories and gruesome detail, but what brings you to Nilfheim and so, so far away from home?"

There was nothing malicious in his words nor the question Ardyn imposed, but Y/N's muscles tensed as if there was nonetheless. It seemed in comparison to his public image—where he liked to draw things out, Ardyn wanted to get to the point. Neither did Y/N want to prolong this any further than necessary. Whatever the Chancellor intended on doing to them, Y/N had no doubts he would carry it out regardless after this conversation. There was nothing to lose or gain.

"I came to the empire for help."

"Help?"

Y/N nodded.

"And why would you do such a thing, in the middle of a war between our two nations no less?"

Ardyn looked so puzzled that it scared Y/N he was irritated. The confusion on his face seemed uncharacteristic of a man of his stature. The thought didn't stop Y/N from raising a brow, just as bewildered as the man himself.

"I thought you didn't want a sob story?"

"Are you being smart with me, dear?"

"No, no!" Y/N protested. "I'm just--!"

The way he suddenly laughed made the air in the room grow thick with tension, and as Y/N made a fist against the sheets of the mattress, Ardyn let out a content sigh and smirked.

"I'm merely speaking in jest." He said in his defense, letting out a faint but dark chortle. "You are right, however, I'd appreciate some context to our precarious situation."

Just get to the point...Y/N repeated to themself over and over, trying to ignore the sinking sensation that grew in their stomach at how he had been toying with them.

"I came here to talk to Imperials who don't want this war as much as I. There's nothing else to say. I'm not a spy, nor defecting my country, nor do I wish to gain anything. I just...want to talk. To get a conversation started, so we can end this."

The silence that hung in the air after Y/N's testimony was palpable to where not even a knife could cut the tension. It didn't help that the Chancellor's features went neutral, almost unreadable save for his eyes which Y/N noted seemed to dance to an invisible tune that no human could comprehend. The way he looked at them was scary in a manner Y/N couldn't describe, but feel on a cellular level.

Ardyn slowly canted his head, a look of wonderment crossing his face briefly as he studied them. "How most naive of you..."

"What's going to happen next?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Y/N gulped. "What's going to happen to me? Am I to be shot outside your chambers or taken to prison?"

"You have quite the grotesque imagination," Ardyn chuckled at their expense, shaking his head in disbelief. "You heard the people back at the Grand Hall, you're to live this night."

"And after?"

He went silent again, and Y/N tried not to avert their gaze from his as he hummed.

"That remains to be decided, that being said, I believe we might be able to help each other."

Y/N's pulse spiked yet again as Ardyn's smile grew, and his pupils expanded; nearly overtaking the orange that covered his irises.

"Contrary to what you no doubt assume, I hold nothing nefarious toward you. You can snuff out the flame of whatever ills are invading your head at this moment." Ardyn said as a matter of fact before continuing. "Perhaps your tale of woe is a boon from the gods after all."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let's just say I've been looking for an 'in' to get back into the good graces of your king's court for negotiation." Ardyn debated with himself on speaking further, then uncrossed his legs and adjusted in his seat. He scooted the chair a little closer to Y/N, eyes locking onto theirs. "You and I seem to have a similar appreciation for the art of conversation, and I find this potentially useful."

It became difficult for Y/N to comprehend what he was saying now, as the fear that overtook them seemed to filter out Ardyn's words. They could barely hear their voice over their heart beating, blood pumping so loud in their mind that the noise began to drown out everything else.

"You're trembling."

Ardyn's faint murmur snapped Y/N out of their trance, and they shook their head in protest. The hidden maliciousness they had sensed earlier returned, growing even stronger as Ardyn suddenly appeared inches from their face. Y/N didn't have time to breathe, much less comprehend the seconds in between.

"Do I frighten you?" He asked, his voice low and dark.

There was no point lying to him, not when those eyes could see through anything.

"Greatly..."

"Good..."

"I'd like to be placed in custody elsewhere," Y/N whispered, trying not to blink out of fear they'd find themselves in the jaws of a predator. His little laugh made their nerves freeze over.

"After the trouble I went through on your behalf, you'd soon rather leave me than hear further of my proposition?"

Y/N nodded. "I would."

"Well, I must implore you to listen carefully," Ardyn's voice dipped as he glared for the first time. "So long as you remain in the Empire, whether you like it or not, you're safest with me."

"I..." Y/N's body picked up on something their mind had trouble feeling out. It didn't help that this played in tandem with their stomach churning in knots over the way he stared them down. "I don't believe you."

And just like that, a dark chuckle from Ardyn broke the atmosphere and Y/N stared in confusion as he backed away and stood, looking down at them.

"I shall leave you to your thoughts," Ardyn gave a soft bow with his head toward Y/N and smirked. "We have much to discuss tomorrow once I sort through how to keep you alive."

He was starting to leave his chambers, until Y/N called out, still bothered by something.

"Wait!"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you speak on my behalf in the first place? You didn't know my intentions until now. What made you put on that performance and keep Aldercapt from cutting off my head?"

Ardyn once more debated with himself, his confidence from earlier waning as he hadn't expected them to cut to the chase as much as he did with them. A faint smile graced his lips when he noticed the connection, furthering the wheels that had been turning in his head.

"The night was dull," He shrugged. "And I was bored out of mind..."

He departed without another sound, closing the large doors behind him.

Y/N didn't even get the chance to ask where they would sleep.

Meanwhile, Ardyn ventured out of his dwelling and into the main hall. Not far from the doors, Verstael awaited him. The older man held a weight of exhaustion in his aged face as Ardyn grinned and walked past him.

"I came down from the keep as soon as I heard what you did." Verstael called out, and began to follow his colleague.

Ardyn smirked, slowing his pace so Verstael could catch up. "You missed out my dear friend! The ceremony became quite a spectacle after that. One could argue I saved the day in more ways than one."

"Be it as it may the party is over," Verstael sighed, shaking his head. "What says Aldercapt now about your new little friend?"

"For now," Ardyn began. "The gods show them favor."

"Just the gods?"

The pair stopped walking, and Ardyn's gaze burrowed into Verstael's as the old man stared him down. The hall became heavy with unspoken words that yearned to bubble to the surface.

"Just the gods..." Ardyn answered bluntly.

Verstael let out a small huff and smiled. "Let's keep it at that."

"You're worried?"

"A man in my position can't help but worry, especially when a dear colleague of his days ago confided he had been missing his home and, what would you know, a piece of it comes stumbling to our doorstep."

"Don't make me ill," Ardyn sighed, trying to cease rolling his eyes. "A distraction is fun, but not the end game as we both know."

Verstael gazed over Ardyn a few more times before deciding he had enough interrogating for now. "Come. I'd love to discuss what your plans are with the Lucian we now have at our disposal."

Ardyn didn't say a word as he and Verstael continued their walk. There were many things he neglected to consider when he vouched for Y/N's life, but he never considered they'd still be alive after their conversation—for he had fully been set on turning his pent-up daemonic tendencies loose upon them after they said their piece.

Nor did he anticipate growing fond of them already.

He bit the inside of his cheek.

Y/N was no diplomat, but Ardyn loved the prospects that stemmed from the fact.

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[seradyn]

Not me scrolling the Ardyn x reader tag because I’ve fallen back into his madness and seeing how absolutely DESOLATE it is 😭😭😭😭

[houdinicorbini]

✧ Masterlist ✧

Identity V:

"Late night thoughts" Alva Lorenz x Anxious/paranoid! Reader

"Before party anxieties" Joseph x Anxious! Reader

Ada&Emil x Reader poly headcanons

Joseph Desaulnier relationship headcanons

Leo Beck/Hell Ember headcanons (request)

Protective! Naib x Reader (Request)

Aesop Carl x Reader Birthday headcanons

Victor Grantz Headcanons

Aesop Carl headcanons

"Comforting Silence" Aesop Carl x Reader

The Arcana: MC bringing breakfast to the main 6 in bed

Asra x Sick! Reader

Julian relationship/fluff headcanons

Muriel relationshio/fluff headcanons

"Don't go" Muriel x Reader

Final fantasy XV:

Ardyn date headcanons

Ardyn/Ravus/Gladio x Clingy! Reader headcanons (request)

"Five more minutes" Sleepy! Ardyn x Reader (Request)

"Late night drive" Ardyn

(Another one I can't think of a title for) Ardyn x Autistic! Reader (Request)

"A pleasant surprise" Ardyn x Reader (Request)

Pursuing Ardyn headcanons (Request)

Calming Ardyn down headcanons

(Still can't think of a title for this one) Ardyn x Reader who faints a lot (Request)

"In silence" Ardyn x Phonophobic! Reader

"Hidden Jealousy" Ardyn x Insecure! Reader (Request)

Ardyn x Reader Birthday headcanons+scenario

"Childhood crush" Ravus x Reader (Request)

"A new life" Ardyn x Pregnant! Reader (Request) Ardyn x Kind! Reader headcanons (Request)

"Only a nightmare" Ardyn x Reader (Request)

Overprotective! Ardyn x Reader headcanons/scenario (Request)

Ardyn x Sick! Reader headcanons (Request)

"An unexpected raincheck" Ardyn x Reader

"Falling asleep at the desk" Ardyn x Reader

Ardyn general headcanons

Ardyn relationship headcanons

FNAF Security Breach: "A fixer upper" Monty x Female! Nightguard! Reader (Request)

Sun&Moon relationship headcanons

Chica relationship headcanons

Some of my au headcanons for Monty

Monty Gator x Reader headcanons

NiGHTs into dreams/Balan Wonderworld: (Can't think of title) Dragon! Lance x Royalty! Reader

Lance relationship headcanons

Reala (Romance?) headcanons

NiGHTs headcanons (Request)

Pre rebellion NiGHTs headcanons (Request)

Other:

Madhouse Mike relationship headcanons

Goliath x Female! Human! Reader family headcanons

Nuclear throne Chicken headcanons

Portgas D Ace x BPD! Reader

"Nothing special" Guzma x Reader (Request)

Guzma relationship headcanons

"Movie date" Douxie x Reader

Douxie relationship headcanons

[olivia200312]

Chapter 2: Staying || Bound By Destiny (Ardyn Izunia x Reader)

Summary:

You may have read stories of girls (and boys) being teleported into gaming worlds such as Final Fantasy XV, but have you ever imagined that one of them gets teleported into our world? Y/N is a 25-year-old young woman who just escaped from an abusive relationship. One night, an unexpected thing happened while Y/N was about to sleep. A canon character got transported into her world. Chancellor Ardyn Izunia is known as a tragic man with a devastating past. The Gods from his world decided to punish him by cursing him that he'd never find love and sending him into a new world called Earth.

What would happen when Ardyn meets Y/N? Will he love her?

---------------------------------------------

Ardyn was awake and he grinned at her, causing Y/N to blush. Just why? Why did she have to have a crush on Ardyn, who is a fictional character? Yet, he was here. She stuttered, trying to say words while placing the fedora hat away on the chair and where Ardyn's trench coat was. 

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't expect you to wake up fast!" Y/N stuttered 

Ardyn showed a sly smile and sat up. "I was just teasing you, my dear." He then looked around, and his sly teasing dropped to a frown. He looked even more concerned. "Where am I?"

"You are at my apartment," Y/N answered Ardyn's question. "I was minding my business when I found something glowing and that's when you appeared."

Ardyn was a bit impressed but he felt also... thankful. This young woman saved his life. If no one stepped in to save him, he would have lived on the streets, on this unknown planet. Wait, this is planet Earth like Shiva said? Is this his punishment? Being stuck on this planet with possibly no way home? How can he work then as the chancellor? Not to mention, he was someone shrouded with mystery. Y/N tilted her head a bit to the side and Ardyn looked at her. 

"Is this planet Earth?"

Y/N nodded. She was surprised. How did Ardyn know that this is Earth? This is not Eos, that's for sure. "Can I ask what happened?"

Ardyn decided that it was best to explain so he did. Y/N listened to every detail. She never heard anything like that before. Sure, some people wrote about a canon character being teleported to Earth, someone being teleported into the franchise world, or a franchise being collaborated with another franchise. She wondered if the government held a deep secret, a special connection with the outside world somewhere in the universe. Was Eos connected to Earth? 

Once Ardyn finished explaining, he didn't stop looking at Y/N. He just noticed something. She was a beauty. And also, she looked a little bit similar to his deceased lover, Aera. Y/N may not have the same blond hair color or blue eyes, but she had some similarities. Y/N was clueless about it but she went on: "Wow... That must suck." She then became suspicious and crossed her arms. "You aren't here to make here forever dark, are you?"

Ardyn couldn't help but chuckle. How foolish she was. He did want to bring darkness in Eos after being betrayed by the Astrals and younger brother, Somnus. No one helped him. Even perhaps Aera knew what was going to happen to him. Why didn't she warn him about it? Or tell him? Ardyn held even anger towards his once beloved. But he missed her dearly. What if... Y/N was a reincarnation version of Aera? Impossible. "No. I failed to bring darkness for my revenge. His Majesty defeated me in a battle."

Y/N couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "It's because of the betrayal, right?"

Ardyn looked at Y/N with his dark eyes, causing her to shudder. She should've been more careful. "How do you know that, my dear?"

Y/N wanted to come up with something, to make Ardyn feel that he wasn't bad. But Ardyn detests lairs and he can detect it easily when someone is lying. She sighed softly and decided to tell the truth. "You are a... a..."

"A what, my dear?"

"Fictional character," Y/N responded nervously.

Ardyn was taken aback. How was this possible? Was he a fictional character on this planet? How? He saw Y/N looking nervously at him. He remembered so many victims... The ones he made nervous and killed them. But he could've killed Y/N right now and there. Or some minutes ago but she... saved his life. She was also a beauty and she reminds him of Aera. She was also like a new creature that he had met on Earth. But she was a human like him. He also wanted to see if magic existed on this planet. He has Starscourge after saving many infected ones when he was not immortal at the time. He was only 33 years old and stuck forever in this body. 

"I-I'm sorry to disappoint you, sir. I know that it's a lot to take in."

Ardyn chuckled and even heck, he even laughed a bit! "We are not in public, my dear. This is not Eos now, isn't it? Just call me Ardyn."

Y/N smiled a bit. "Very well then, ... Ardyn." She then stood up and went to her closet. She opened it and searched for a baggy shirt that would fit Ardyn. He couldn't help but watch her. Just as he was about to ask what she was doing, Y/N let out an "Aha!" and showed Ardyn a baggy black shirt. "You can stay here if you want. I don't want you to sleep on the streets."

"That is very kind of you, my dear," Ardyn said with a genuine thankful smile as Y/N gave him the black baggy shirt. "Where may I change?"

"Follow me." Y/N led the way as Ardyn followed her. The bathroom was not far. Y/N turned the light on as she entered her bathroom. There was a bathtub with curtains and a toilet. Oh, the bathtub also looked nice and big enough for your legs to be in the water too. Just imagine a hot relaxing water in the bathtub...

"You can change in here."

Ardyn entered while Y/N closed the door to give Ardyn privacy. She went to the kitchen to make something for Ardyn. What was his favorite food to eat? She decided to make him some (choice). She knew that Ardyn lived for many years to taste all kinds of foods. So, what was his favorite? Ardyn came out through the door and heard noises in the kitchen. He wore now a baggy shirt and he took out his shoes as well. He saw a small corridor/hallway that led towards the front door to the outside and there were Y/N shoes so he placed them down next to hers. He went to the kitchen and there he saw Y/N making food. 

"Ah, you're done. I made some food for you," Y/N said as she turned around with a plate of food on it. "Have a seat."

Ardyn did as told and he sat down. This world is indeed a bit strange for him. He was treated all the time as someone important since he was a chancellor, the one of Niflheim. Y/N set the plate down in front of him and sat down across from him. He began eating while the girl watched him. "How does it taste?"

"Splendid!"

After eating, Y/N led him to the living room. "Now about the sleep. When looking at you and since you are a chancellor, you sleep in beds?"

Ardyn smirked with a chuckle. "My dear, I am immortal, I don't need sleep. But yes, I sleep in beds."

Y/N nodded. "How about I take the couch and you sleep in my bed?"

"Now, my dear, it's not wise for a gentleman to let a woman sleep on the couch," Ardyn said with a frown. "How about we share the bed?"

Y/N stiffed. She blushed. Never had she shared a bed with a man before. But Ardyn is her damn crush and yet he was here! Ardyn grinned once he noticed her blush. Y/N grumbled a "Fine" before walking to her bedroom, Ardyn following close behind. What he was saying is the truth. It's not wise for a gentleman to let a woman sleep on the couch. Y/N was already in her short pajamas and laid down in bed. Ardyn laid down next to her and closed his eyes. Like he said, he didn't need sleep since he was immortal. Y/N moved to sleep on her stomach and slowly closed her eyes. Sleep took her in rather quickly. 

[krisssssssy]

Summary: The Magitek engine is attacked, and you find yourself alone with Dr. Besithia.

[agent-cupcake]

heavensent

Pairing: Ardyn Izunia x f!angel reader

Synopsis: For the prompt Ardyn + holy. Fallen angel daemon Ardyn rejected your offer of salvation, deciding that it would be more fun to ruin you instead.

Warnings: explicit smut, noncon, minor elements of torture, violence

Tags: au: angels and demons, tentacles, double penetration, throat fucking, voyeurism, cum eating, spit kink

Notes: I'm sorry about the blaspheme :(

Words: 7.1k

Pain was the crude cudgel that forced you awake. It hit without any subtlety, demanding your urgent attention the second you managed even the slightest hint of consciousness. Every muscle burned, each pulse of blood through your head pounded like a hammer against your temple, and your wings, only half folded, hurt. They hurt very badly.

Why?

“Are you awake?” a man’s voice asked, the words muffled and far away, nearly beyond your comprehension. You groaned weakly. The sound of a storm howled away outside, a riotous gale of wind and rain and thunder clapping angrily. Its chill crept up your clammy skin, making you shiver. It was so cold. “How you could manage to sleep through a storm like this… Well, it’s beyond me.”

Trying to fight through the fog of dissociation, you blinked a few times, getting a blurry look at your surroundings. The room was dark and empty. Everything, save for the pain itself, was icy cold. And all of it, every piece of the situation in which you had awoken, was horribly, utterly wrong. That allowed you some clarity beyond the pain, beyond the confusion. Enough to realize you were chained to a chair with metal handcuffs, your back aching from slumping forward and your feet bare and numb. A collar sat heavily around your neck, set with a chain that snaked somewhere behind you.

The speaker, a man who loomed as little more than a shadow with the light of a storm behind him, watching you from across the room. His eyes glowed in the dim light, a cruel, malevolent yellow.

“You will forgive me,” he told you, his voice smooth and friendly. Adjusting yourself with a painful heave upright, you attempted to shake out your wings, acting on the animal impulse of fight or flight. Flight, always flight. But you realized immediately that the right one refused to extend, shooting red hot agony down all the way to the base of your spine. The left fared slightly better, but the pristine white plumage was coated in tar-like ink. Dried blood matted the feathers. Your blood. “I’ve never kept birds before, I’m afraid I wasn’t entirely sure how wings are best clipped.”

“What did you do?” you asked, horrified as you looked at the wreckage. For some reason, they weren’t healing the way they should have been. Your mouth tasted like blood, the words stilted and heavy.

“I didn't want my little birdie to fly away so soon."

Finally, it hit you, memories filtering in past the pain and fear and discomfort. “Ardyn,” you said, identifying the man in front of you. Lightning flashed behind him, haloing his curls. Wingless and condemned and fallen, but still Ardyn. That was why you had descended, why you took the risk of a mortal form. After finding him, you had hoped he would speak with you. You couldn’t remember what happened after that.

“That He would send his favored daughter to put an end to my life is most telling, don’t you think?” he asked, crossing the room with a casual, stilted gait. Each fall of his boot was unbearably loud. “It rather hurt my feelings. Whatever could I have done to earn His ire?”

“No, He didn’t,” you said, your voice soft and hoarse. Tears blurred the sight of him looming above you, looking every bit the shadowy daemon he had become, a creature corrupted by starscourge and the sin of man. One who had clipped your wings. The right one still refused to extend or fold, stuck in a crooked, half unfurled position. Even if the feathers weren’t chopped, flight would be impossible.

Ardyn crouched down to meet your eye, his head cocked at a curious angle. “What was that?” he asked. “You don’t mean to tell me you’ve come in defiance of His orders, do you?” Whatever expression you made, most likely one of crippling guilt and regret, made Ardyn smile. “Oh, that is flattering. You were always so exhaustingly dedicated to following the rules, I must have really ruffled your feathers if you were willing to go to such extremes to kill me.” He looked pointedly at your injured wing before donning an over-the-top apologetic look. “That might have been a poor choice of words, I beg your pardon.”

“Not kill you,” you told him, refusing to be distracted by the cruel jab. If he thought you were an assassin, perhaps you could understand why he would do this. You just needed to make him understand, to convince him of your intent. Hopeful, pleading, begging him to listen. The Ardyn you once knew would understand, of that you were certain. “I came to save you.”

Ardyn didn’t move for a long moment. The storm raged, your heart raced, the pain pulsed. And still, you hoped. Prayed.

Slowly, crinkles fanning out from his eyes first, the corner of his lips curling up, he smiled. It was a horrible, evil expression. Dread enshrouded him, crushing against you as firmly as a vice. It was all you could do to meet his eye, air catching raggedly in your throat.

“No, no, no, darling,” Ardyn cooed. “That simply will not do.” His hand played along the length of chain connected to the metal collar around your neck before closing in a fist, roughly tugging you forward. You yelped, caught suspended as the chain securing the handcuffs pulled taut. The strain made your shoulders scream, your back muscles unintentionally flexing and hurting your injured wing all over again. “As I hope you'll come to understand, it is not I who is in need of salvation.”

Your breathing had become too fast, too frantic, tears making fresh tracks down your cheeks. In your weakened mortal form, flight was one of the few magics you were able to retain, and he’d already stolen that. The only reason for an angel to take the shape of man was to walk among them, you had to sacrifice much of your true form for it. That meant power, that meant knowledge, that meant divinity. That meant you were stupid and injured and trapped and you didn’t know what to do, didn’t know where you were or what was going to happen.

“Hush,” Ardyn cooed, releasing the chain so you could fall back and ease the strain on your arms. “There will be plenty of time for that later.”

You sobbed, shaking your head. The human emotions were more intense than you were prepared for, primal in the way they festered and erupted. In a time when you desperately needed poise and control, you faltered. The angelic part of yourself was easily overpowered by emotion, by fear.

“Ardyn, please. I wa-want to talk. Please just listen.”

He waved a dismissive hand, standing up. “Oh, do spare me your holier than thou drivel, it’s positively sickening. I do not want for salvation, nor do I have any desire for forgiveness. The time for that has long past, and I will not suffer the insult. As you can tell, I’m quite happy.” He turned towards you, arms outstretched and his smile glistening in the half light. “It suits me, wouldn’t you agree?”

It was as you had been warned. There were no traces of the kind, gentle soul you had once known. Rotted through with corruption and the daemonic scourge of man’s folly. You had, with only the best of intentions, brought yourself to the devil’s door. Heaven felt so, so far away, your mortal form severing your inherent connection. All the power, all the light, wasn’t strong enough to pierce this place.

“Don’t cry,” Ardyn scolded. “Rejoice in the chance I’m gifting to you. You have the privilege of setting an example, of being a martyr. Your fate will be a tragedy, a warning to those who believe His power to be greater than mine. Another angel fallen, stolen from the heavens and delivered into the corrupting embrace of sin. Think of it, my dear.”

You gasped, shaking your head in mindless, mute rejection. The utter magnitude of what he was saying was borderline incomprehensible, but the sinking terror of it had you sobbing, your shoulders straining and the metal cuffs biting painfully into your wrists. You knew that taking a mortal form made you emotional, irrational even, but that wasn’t enough to steady you. All you could do was cling to belief and faith, to whatever righteous conviction you felt that brought you to making such a reckless choice.

“You cannot make me,” you told him. “I will never relent to sin. I will never fall, no matter what. Not like—” You cut yourself off, unable to finish that biting, cruel thought. But Ardyn knew, his sharp smile made that obvious.

“Not like me, hm?” he asked. Ardyn gasped dramatically, a hand covering his heart. “You wound me.”

“It doesn’t have to be like this,” you told him softly. “He will forgive you, He will forgive anything. Ardyn, please, listen to me-”

“I considered that I might recreate my own torment and leave you here to rot for a century or so,” Ardyn said, breezing past your appeal. “But it does seem like such a waste. I would prefer to savor this moment. To see the look in your eyes as you’re dragged down into the darkest depths of hell, to know the taste of despair from one who has been promised eternal paradise. And so I began to wonder what the effects of sin might have on one such as you, one who is pure of mind and flesh. One who cannot hope to have any defense.”

“Ardyn, please,” you begged. “Please stop.”

“Sin,” Ardyn said, practically purring the word. “Not pain, I shall spare you that torment for now. Carnal sin. Lust, desire, pleasure. Have you any idea of what I mean, my dear?”

“Ardyn, please,” you begged again, knowing your words weren’t getting through but unable to come up with anything better. You thought this would be so easy, that he would see, that he would understand what seemed so obvious.

“Alas, I am unable to do anything of the sort with my own hand,” he said, crouching down in front of you again. “You are positively irradiated with His light.” Ardyn raised a hand, brushing a single fingertip across your cheek. Although all you felt was the zing of his touch, flinching away in fear, he hissed, something like smoke twisting up from where his flesh had met your own. “But it need not be by my hand that you are debauched, only my orchestration. I don’t doubt that there will be much you stand to lose even after you’ve been stripped of His blessing. But until then, a proxy must suffice.”

“Stop,” you begged again. Saliva pooled thickly on your tongue, as if you were speaking through sludge. You may as well have been saying nothing at all for the effect it had.

“But I’m getting ahead of myself, you really must forgive my anticipation,” Ardyn said, standing up. He walked around you, behind the chair. “Allow me to free you of these gaudy shackles. They’re unfit for such a devout servant of heaven.” You flinched when he lifted the chain connecting your wrists, but you felt the weight of a key. Felt the unclick of the lock.

“Are you ready?” Ardyn asked as the metal cuffs clanged to the floor. You hadn’t felt him get close, but the air of his words disturbed the hair around your ear. You turned to face him with your shoulders high, toppling out of the chair and onto the floor with a heavy exhale in your desperate to put space between you.

Ardyn wasn’t there. Instead, something caught you from the other side, catching the chain connected to the collar and jerking you back. You lashed out with fingers curled like claws, mindlessly thrashing, but your wrists got caught. At first, you thought it was Ardyn, you craned your neck around to see him, but there was nothing. Whatever held you emerged from the darkness, but it was tangible. Cool and smooth. Not quite flesh, yet unmistakably alive, undulating and pulsing as the inhuman limbs moved up your arms, binding them together behind your back. When it hit your injured wing, you howled, but no matter how much you struggled, the tendrils only continued to grow, slithering up your arms, crawling over your skin like vines.

“What is this?” you demanded, panic and dread building at the profane touch.

Only the howling wind answered the question, pounding against the windows. A second shadow limb wrapped around your ankle. Yelping, you tried to pull your foot away. Another caught your other leg. Snaking up your calves. The tendril that had originated around your arms had split, one of them wrapping around your waist to wrench you upward. How many were there? Pulsing and growing and splitting to well and truly bind you, to hold you still. They looked like shadows given form, almost. Glistening like ink, but not wet. Crackling with profane violet sparks of magic. Black smoke faintly rose up from wherever the things touched you, but they didn’t shrink away in pain the way Ardyn had. It made no sense that such things could be alive, but they felt alive. They seemed to move with intent.

“Stop this,” you begged, jerking and lurching against the bindings.

Ardyn laughed. You hadn’t seen him move, but he sat in front of you in your vacated chair, watching with those unnervingly yellow eyes. The shadows, the tentacle-like mass of starscourge, was quickly encompassing your entire body. It came directly from him. And his face, shown now in truth, was ashen and dripping the inky liquid, crackling with purple daemonic magic. A daemon.

“I wouldn’t fight them if I were you,” he said. “You could hurt yourself.”

“What is this?” you asked, your voice shrill with fear. “Stop it! Ardyn, please.”

“One might think you wanted this to happen, coming to me in such a tempting form.” His eyes scanned you slowly, nearly as invasive as the tendrils sneaking beneath your clothes, searching for skin. “Although, those clothes do you no favors,” Ardyn muttered. Just like that, your clothes withered to black dust, a rot that originated wherever the tendril touch them and slowly burned its way through. He had nothing to hide his true intentions, but that was the thing that made reality set in. Your long, shapeless dress, your bra, your panties—all of it, dust. Sin, he said. Carnal sin. “Ah, yes. That’s much better. Let there be no secrets between us.”

Your left wing trembled, trying to extend, to cover yourself. As soon as it moved, another shadow tendril secured it to your back. The right was, mercifully, left alone, but it was useless, twitching weakly, painfully. The way your arms were held behind your back forced your chest forward, nipples stiff in the cold air. Chills covered your body, disgust and shame the only real source of heat in this terrible, cold room. You had always thought that hell would be hot, but this was worse. Here, in this cold place of evil and of stone, Ardyn intended to use the material representation of sin itself to defile your flesh. You closed your eyes, desperate to shut him out. No matter what, he would not sway you. He would not ruin you.

“I like that look,” Ardyn said. “You truly believe that you are beyond corruption. I have no doubt that you will cling to your faith throughout this night and the next. You will falter as time wears on, but you will stubbornly refuse to be brought low no matter what fun we have.”

A shadow circled one of your painfully stiff nipples before curling around it. Shocked, disgusted by the invasive touch, your eyes opened wide to look at Ardyn, but he only smiled, elbows casually braced on his knees. You gasped in something like pain when the tendril pinched your nipple, sparks of mindless sensation scattering through your gut. Another slithered between your ribs, doing the same to the other breast.

“Stop,” you begged, closing your eyes again to shut it all out. At this point, that was impossible. Your entire body was hyper sensitized, it was all you could feel.

“But there will come a time, my dear, that you no longer remember what it is to hope. The pristine feathers you so proudly flaunt will blacken, and you will think only of the betrayal you have suffered. Damned to an eternity of being the devil’s plaything by the Father you revere. And for nothing more than the sin of your foolish kindness.”

“No,” you said, your voice breathless and tight. “Never.”

“Well,” Ardyn responded dismissively. “I told you it will take time. It is best to live in the present, don’t you think? This is, after all, a very special moment.”

One of the tendrils began to crawl up your thigh. Its destination was obvious, but you screamed when it bumped the outer lips protecting your pussy, thrashing like a wild beast. Mindlessly terrified, disgust swelling up in your throat. Tightening around your thighs, the shadow jerked your legs open wider in response to your pathetic attempt at escape. Your hips twitched, muscles trembling with strain, but there was nowhere for you to go with the scourge limbs keeping your thighs spread, another holding your hips to keep you from wiggling away.

“Stop,” you plead breathlessly, dizzy from how fast you were hyperventilating. “Stop it, now!”

“Would that I could, my dear, but I think they’ve taken a liking to you.”

All you could do was let out a pathetic, whimpery wail. It would be better to let this happen with some grace, to shut your mind off to the exploitation of your body and rise above it. To refuse to engage in your own ruination. But you couldn’t. The ones on your nipples continued to pinch and pull, never overstepping the line of pain but always threatening it. All it did was incite disgust and horror, but there was a purely physical reaction you couldn’t control. And, ignoring your attempt at displacing it, the shadowy tendril exploring between your legs continued to gently probe between your legs, smooth as it slipped past your slit to slide across the warmer flesh.

When you screamed at the unwanted touch, a thicker tendril shoved past your lips as if waiting for the opportunity, muffling your cry. Starscourge tasted of ink and ozone and blood, a foul combination. Although it only rested shallowly on your tongue, it made you gag, your body attempting to heave despite the lack of movement you were allowed. Worse was the feeling of it. The way its smooth surface seemed to pulse, constantly twisting and writhing.

If you vomited and choked, would Ardyn stop this? You weren’t sure. You had to focus on your breathing, on controlling your body. As soon as you came to that conclusion, you were given a little shake, your legs pulled even wider, and the tendril between your legs landed against your clit. The way you screamed pressed your tongue against the thing in your mouth and you felt the way a shudder worked down its length. Continuing to pulse, it thrust shallowly into your mouth, swelling up enough to make your jaw burn.

“Breathe through your nose,” Ardyn instructed you brightly, like he was offering a tip while training. “If you faint again, who knows what I might be forced to do to revive you.”

Focusing on his words was impossible. Between your struggle to breathe past the shadow thrusting languidly into your mouth, the one rubbing little circles against your clit, and the ones secured around your abused nipples, your brain was more than overloaded. Drool slipped past your lips as the scourge limb pulled out, sliding past your chin and onto your chest. Something else was coming out of it, another fluid joining the deluge of saliva. Thicker, tasting of scourge. It filled your mouth and you couldn’t get rid of it fast enough whenever the tendril pulled out, having no choice but to swallow.

“O, Father,” Ardyn called dramatically. “We ask thee to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy accursed son. Amen.”

You sobbed, a flicker of genuine hatred sparking within you that he would mock something so sacred as sacrament.

“Was that too far?” Ardyn asked. “I’d have thought you would embrace a reminder of the familiar.”

A weak moan of protest rumbled in your throat, silenced before it could really be voiced. The tendril between your legs pulled away for a moment, giving you a second of hope that it was over. When it returned, however, it was slightly thicker, slick with what you could only assume was the vile liquid you were choking on.

This time, it was rougher, rubbing hard and fast circles against your clit. You couldn’t help the way your body responded, it was the same as choking on the limb fucking your mouth and the same as the sparks of sensation the ones on your nipples continued to send through you. A bodily function, not one of your mind.

You couldn’t help it.

“Just like that, darling,” Ardyn said, his voice low and smooth.

You whimpered, twitched. Your entire body strained against the various shadowy limbs holding you still, your hips attempting to move away from the pleasure being forced into you. Dizziness had crawled from the base of your skull and left your mind buzzing numbly. Thunder struck and you peeked down at the pair of evil yellow eyes watching you unravel.

“Go on,” he encouraged you sweetly. So sweetly.

You squeezed your eyes shut as you came. Unable to move, the most you could manage was the slight tilt of your head, the tightening of your muscles beneath their shadowy confines. The feeling had an indescribable heat to it, a bright flash of sensation and then the warmth. It was like nothing you had ever felt before, at least not while wearing a mortal form. Pain and emotion were much stronger to a human brain, but so was pleasure.

The tendrils around your nipples had finally tipped over the edge of pain, pinching too hard considering how sensitive you had become. But there was nothing you could do about it, not with the rush of pleasure as the one between your legs continued its assault against your clit, and not when your mouth was still being used by the thicker scourge limb. At this point, the inky liquid it secreted was coating your chin and chest. You dared not consider how much of it you had swallowed.

Once you finished twitching and trembling your way through your first orgasm, the tendril between your legs moved downward, leaving your swollen clit to rest. Pleasure wasn’t enough to make you ignore the danger as it prodded at the fluttering muscles of your entrance. You knew full well what it intended, but your rejection was reduced to nothing but incomprehensible grunts as the thing continued to use your mouth.

“I’m afraid to say, my dear, that you’re positively dripping,” Ardyn said. You tried to object, but your words were muffled. Looking down at him was difficult, the thing in your mouth keeping you from moving your head too much. In your teary periphery, you could see that he had pulled his chair closer, lips pursed as he inspected you. “What a cruel little minx you are, tempting me in this way.” Ardyn sighed, sitting back. “Fortunately, I have learned a great deal about patience in recent years. You will have what you want for now, I’ll claim my share later.”

The tendril resting against your entrance shuddered in the same way the one in your mouth had, swelling up and secreting more of the inky liquid. It was slightly sticky, thicker than your saliva. As if to distract you, the scourge limb fucking your mouth—reaching all the way back into your throat at this point—began to pulse and shudder with a final surge, dumping more and more of that viscous liquid down your throat, overflowing from where your lips were stretched around it and you choked and gagged and whined in distress.

“By the time I get my turn, I daresay you’ll be an expert at that,” Ardyn said cheerfully as the shadowy tendril pulled out of your mouth. Gasping for air, you tried to spit out as many sticky globs of the thing’s secretions as possible, but it had infected your mouth, your throat. You could have sworn you felt it in your belly, swishing around your insides and infecting you from the inside out.

Finished with whatever preparations it intended, the scourge limb between your legs pushed firmly against your entrance. You opened your mouth, intending to object, but Ardyn cut you off.

“Careful,” he warned. “I’ve no interest in hearing you complain incessantly. There are better uses for that mouth of yours.”

“It won’t fit,” you said tightly, watching the shadow prod between your legs. Ardyn didn’t respond, his eyes dark as he watched the thing push at your entrance again. The flesh between your legs was coated with the same dark, stick liquid coating your chest, laying heavily on your tongue. The same that dripped down his face. The blunted head pushed into you with a solid thrust, heavy and uncomfortably hard around the clenching muscles. You could feel its wrongness, the too-smooth texture of its flesh, the way it seemed to pulse and undulate beneath the surface.

“Oh, would you look at that,” Ardyn said, feigning awe. “It looks as if it fits to me. What do you think?”

You weren’t sure if you meant to say something, or if the open-mouthed shock of sensation was the only response you were capable of. The tendrils holding your body forced you further down onto the scourge limb, cruelly pushing it deeper in little jolting bursts. It split you open, relentlessly making your pussy stretch around it while it trembled and twitched, its surface continuing to inhumanly ripple against your inner walls.

“Stop,” you finally got out, sobbing and panicked at the unbearable ache of being stretched open. “No more, it—it hurts.”

“What did I say?” he asked.

You couldn’t remember. The only thing you could possibly focus on was the intrusive pain as you were dragged down a few more inches, your body unwillingly yielding. When you screamed—if not in pain, than in objection—a new tendril pushed into your mouth just as the last one had, shuddering and swelling and coated in even more of the inky liquid.

“You can’t say I didn’t warn you,” Ardyn told you. Surprised, you clamped down hard around the scourge cock—and what’s what it was, wasn’t it? What else could it be?—buried deep into your cunt, crying as it settled. Likely because to go any further would seriously damage you. As it was, you could only imagine what the thing was doing to your insides.

Instead of fucking your mouth like the last one had, the shadow seemed to want to explore, its tapered tip feeling around your mouth in a way you’d almost call curious. The effect was the same, your cries and groans and pleas muffled, but maybe you were grateful it was being more gentle. When your tongue nudged against it, an absurd amount of the inky liquid dripped out of it. There was nowhere for it to go other than down, slick in your throat, heavy in your stomach. At this point, the foul taste barely registered.

“An angel would never deny sacrament, would she?” Ardyn asked. “Good girl.”

You whimpered, wept. Your uninjured wing twitched, your fingertips and toes fluttering. Not that it mattered.

The shadowy mass of limbs worked together to fuck you, dragging you up and down its cock no matter how you twitched or struggled. The aching pain of being split apart wasn’t as insistent as you might have thought, but the wrongness was gruesome. There was no sound of flesh meeting flesh, just the lewd noise of so much wetness being squished in and out, of the guttural noises you couldn’t help but make, muffled by the thing in your mouth. It wasn’t going fast, but it went so deep each time. Too deep, pressing into you until pain made you spasm around it.

The tendrils around your nipples had never stopped either, even though the pleasure had long since become painful overstimulation. The one in your mouth seemed content to simply remain there, maybe because Ardyn wasn’t thinking about controlling it directly, his attention focused elsewhere.

Ardyn groaned, low and long, and you finally dared to open your eyes. It made sense that he would be touching himself, that this would bring him pleasure, but the sight was more than you could bear. Someone you once trusted, that you once respected, reduced to a daemon watching your violation with a lustful gaze, his hand slowly working his cock. Luxuriating in this.

Feeling you looking, Ardyn caught your eye, his gaze alight with mischief and cruelty. No shame, of course. The shame was all yours, and it blazed as acutely as the pain and the disgust. Thunder clapped from far away, lightning lending temporary radiance to his frightening face. Then it faded and you squeezed your eyes shut.

“There’s no escaping this,” he told you. “You are just as guilty as I, taking pleasure in your desecration. I fear the pearly gates will be locked shut from now on.”

He couldn’t hear your words of despairing denial, but your muffled sound made Ardyn laugh nonetheless. To prove his point, the larger limb wrapped around your waist split, dropping down over your pelvis. It pressed down there, making you aware of how deep the scourge’s cock went with each thrust, the heaviness of it inside of you. Your hips twitched again, mindlessly lost in a second of sickening pleasure. You realized that he was right. At the very least, if this kept up, you were going to come again. Disassociating from the sensations wasn’t an option, you couldn’t mentally reject this.

Not finished proving his point, the tendril curled down, settling against your swollen clit. Each time you were dragged up and down, it rubbed those same circles against you that had been your undoing before.

And then it was all you could do to beg for forgiveness because you knew what was going to happen, you could feel your pussy tightening as your body tensed up in preparation to come again. The smooth flesh with its unnerving movement felt so good inside of you, rubbing your inner walls in a way that felt just as wonderful as the one against your clit. So deep. Pressing against the tendril settled against your pelvis, giving you the measure of how thoroughly you were being used. It should have been a terrible thought, but it wasn’t.

Ardyn moaned, and that was all it took to send you over the edge. Now that you knew what was happening, somewhat, the pleasure was even more intensive. Expansive. Bright and so, so good. Unbearably good, you luxuriated in the way its cock filled you up, the way it touched your clit, the odd texture. Even the tendril in your mouth, lazily spurting out globs of the inky liquid, was deliciously pleasurable.

It didn’t stop. You came down but the torment didn’t so much as pause, working you right back up.

“You like being used, don’t you? A rather detestable trait of the servile. What a pathetic little thing you are,” Ardyn said, his voice low and laden with lust. You groaned, your back arching as you came again, tightening and shuddering in the embrace of his shadows. He laughed. “I intended to save this surprise for another time, but it seems as if you’re ready now.”

One of the shadow tendrils had made its way behind you, leaving a slick black trail until it landed against your puckered back entrance. Your eyes snapped open, some sense of reason returning with a deluge of panicked disgust. Even lost in a wave of filthy pleasure, you were aware enough to know that sodomy was a step too far. Beyond too far. Dirty, filthy, crude—you tried to tell Ardyn that, biting at the shadow in your mouth, but it didn’t matter. Ardyn watched with a vague amount of amusement at your pointless squirming, his eyes dark.

“Oh no?” he asked, feigning cluelessness. “You’re not ready? It’s terribly hard to hear you, my dear.”

You wailed. It hurt to move, but you didn't care. There was no way he would go this far. It was disgusting, surely he wouldn't.

“Calm down, I understand,” Ardyn told you indulgently. “I really do. But don’t you think you’re being selfish? Everything I’ve given you, and you would deny me this? I thought better of you, I truly did.”

Ignoring him, you thrashed as hard as you could, taking advantage of the way some of the limbs had loosened. But then they tightened, painfully digging into your thighs and arms and torso. Rather than risk letting you escape, the second cockhead which had only been teasing the ring of muscle roughly pushed in.

“Serenity,” Ardyn said as you went completely still, whimpering like an injured animal. “Surely you can remember that. With me now—Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.”

You groaned, the sound stuttering as the shadowy tendril in your mouth steadily fucked your throat. And then you just wept because there was nothing you could do, nowhere for you to go. The starscourge cock in your ass was following the same patterns as the others, shuddering, producing more of that liquid to ease its way, and getting thicker. It wasn’t as rough as the one in your pussy, at least, but the distress and pain of something so unthinkably, unbearably wrong was worse than any pain.

The entire time, you were jerked around by the one thrusting into your cunt, given no peace by the little tendril against your swollen clit. The second scourge cock seemed content to simply settle shallowly in your ass, letting you deal with the agonizing burning stretch while being exploited pleasurably otherwise.

Pleasure. You cried louder as you realized what was happening, what you were being pushed into again. Another orgasm, even like this, even being used for one of the most sinful of acts. More and more of the liquid coated your throat. You were losing control, your body giving into the assault. To spare itself, maybe, but also because it felt good.

When you came, the cock in your ass pushed deeper. It had produced more than enough of the slick excretion to make it an easy slide, and even the stretch was less distracting when you were more focused on the way your pussy clamped down around its other cock, your clit pulsing against its smooth touch. At this point, your jaw just hung slack so your mouth could be used however it wanted, your throat sore but still managing to swallow. You were being used in every way you could be used. The weight of it all was sublimely terrible, excessive in the worst, most terrible of ways.

“And you seemed so sure you wouldn’t like it!” Ardyn exclaimed in a teasing tone. “You really should trust me, my dear. I know best when it comes to these things.”

You groaned weakly. Wanting to beg him to stop as you came down from that high because every single one of your muscles was trembling, worn out and miserable. For a moment, you thought that overstimulation had become numbness, but another thick glob of the inky liquid was shot down your throat and the fire rekindled somewhat. They weren’t finished yet. No, Ardyn wasn’t finished yet. You could hear the filthy sound of his hand working up and down his dick. He’d been taking this slow, savoring it.

The scourge cock in your ass had begun to thrust in time with the one in your pussy, spearing you in a jolting back and forth. Both were, for want of a better word, selfish. Likely in the same way Ardyn himself was. They were trying to fuck you hard and deep, to claim you fully regardless of the fact that you felt full to bursting, ready to split between them.

Your mind was far gone enough to relent to it all. The touch on your clit and pinching your nipples helped, even if overstimulation had driven the sensations beyond what could be considered pleasurable. The cock inside of your ass shuddered, releasing more of the sticky liquid to ease any uncomfortable friction. It didn’t hurt anymore. It felt good. You weren’t sure why, but it did. It made you come again, shuddering apart and crying around the tendril fucking your mouth. They didn’t stop, they didn’t even slow down. It just continued.

You had become entirely limp, unable to tell if you were coming again or if the pleasure was just too intense to rationally sort through. Ardyn was moaning, but his words fell on deaf ears. It was all you could do to keep from shattering. Each second you felt convinced you couldn’t handle another moment of the torment, and it still didn’t stop.

The tendril pulled out of your mouth and you wilted, weeping and whimpering and wrung out beyond rationality. “Please,” you begged, globs of blackened saliva dripping onto your chest. You couldn’t open your eyes, your breathing was wild. A high pitched keen left your mouth as you came again, squeezing both cocks as your body drew tight all over again. That sound collapsed into a sob, a moan. There was no difference. “No more, no—”

You didn’t get a warning before the mass of scourge tentacles disappeared in its entity. They didn’t pull out, they didn’t relax, they were simply gone. With a cry of shock and a grunt, you dropped painfully onto the ground, your body loose and heavy and empty. Small mercy that you had been tilted forward, falling onto your front rather than onto your injured wings. Agony radiated up your legs, shooting up from your knees. When you tried to get traction, you slipped. The floor was cold and covered in a mess of slick inky fluid.

Before you could make sense of any of it, your head spinning, you heard the squeal of chair legs on stone. And then, from far off, the clap of thunder. The paradoxically cheerful chiming of chain links. You were wrenched upward by the collar around your throat.

Lightning flashed, giving you a view of Ardyn above you. There was no pretend in his dark eyes now, only the inhuman cruelty he’d embraced. He was touching himself still, fast now. With intent. Each pump of his fist brought the flushed red tip of his cock close enough to your face that you could smell him. There was no place for you to escape, the grip he had on the chain connected to your collar was unyielding no matter how you tried to squirm away.

“Look at me,” Ardyn said. The sound of his voice made you flinch, whimpering. But you did, looking up at him with fresh tears in your eyes. “Oh, what a look that is…” He groaned, his words teetering on the rapturous cusp of release. “Open your mouth for me… Yes, and your tongue…” You felt nothing about your immediate obedience, only wanting it all to end. Ardyn groaned happily, tugging even more firmly on the chain. “Be a good girl and swallow.”

When the first spurt of cum hit your tongue, you weren’t expecting it. It made you flinch back again, kept in place by the collar. He pulled the chain even harder, painfully jerking you forward. Whimpering and squeezing your eyes shut, you managed to keep your mouth open and tongue out, holding still for each burst of salty, musky cum as Ardyn worked himself through his orgasm. It felt like it took hours. Hours of horrible discomfort and pain and cold. You had to swallow even with your mouth still open, forcing down globs of cum so you didn’t have to taste it, to get it over with as quickly as possible. Your jaw ached, your throat hurt.

“Go on, my dear,” Ardyn said when he was truly done. “Don’t waste a single drop.”

Wincing at the taste, you closed your mouth and laboriously choked the rest down. It was probably better than the scourge, but towards the end, you’d grown almost immune to the taste of that liquid. This was different. But you did it.

“So obedient,” Ardyn cooed, his voice disgustingly saccrahine. “Let me see now.”

You opened your eyes, unsure of what he meant and wanting nothing more than for this nightmare to be over.

“Your mouth,” he prompted, crouching down to get a better look at you. He smiled sweetly, innocently. “This is the last thing I’ll ask of you, I promise.”

Numbly, you opened your mouth for him once more. Ardyn inspected it with bright eyes, that smile fixed in place. You didn’t expect him to suddenly jerk the chain to pull you forward, or for him to spit into your mouth, but all you could manage as a reaction was a whimper, your face scrunching up in disgust as you unconsciously swallowed that too.

“Such a filthy little thing,” he said softly, smugly. “I promised you martyrdom, but I fear that you’re too depraved to claim such a title. You spare yourself pain now, but at the cost of your virtue. It really is too cruel, isn’t it? You poor, pathetic angel.”

Ardyn gave you a look of exaggerated pity, frowning in pretend sympathy of the way your face was crumpling into a fresh bout of tears. When you tried to pull away, he didn’t stop you, releasing the chain and standing up, fixing his clothes. You collapsed to the floor, curling in on yourself instinctively.

“I must go now,” Ardyn said, his footsteps loud as he left you. “Do be good while I’m gone, hm?”

At first, you didn’t think you had the strength to speak. You tried once, but couldn’t get the words out. But when you heard the sound of a door, you realized what was about to happen, and immediate fear became more important than anything else. “You’re leaving me here?” you asked again weakly, sniffing and wiping your face as best you could. Everything was damp and sticky, all you were really doing was smearing it around.

“Well you can’t expect me to take you out looking like that,” Ardyn responded, turning halfway toward you. His eyes scanned your form critically. As if he wasn’t the reason you were in such a sorry state. “Another time, perhaps. But don’t worry. The windows aren’t locked. If your faith is justified, you should be able to fly away whenever you want.”

Ardyn laughed at that as he left, the sound echoing against stone, knocking around the walls.

The door slammed.

You sobbed, and you prayed in hushed, broken whispers. The only answer you received was that echoing laugh, knocking around in your head.

[shellswritesstuff]

ardyn soft headcanons, ya kno if he has any left in him lmaooo <3333 trash man

THANK YOU FOR THE ASK !!!!

Soft Ardyn HCs!

Calls you his "Starlight." During his endless years on Eos, the only thing that remained consistent was the stars above.

When you laugh about the nickname as he explains it to you, Ardyn will be quick to remind you... he's extra. A exaggerated sigh followed by him throwing his head back, the whole thing. A hand on his head. "Oh how, could you betray me so! "

Literally if there was a photo by the word extra in the dictionary, well.. The definition would be covered up because the guy pasted glamour shots of himself all over the page.

Ardyn was once royalty, and he keeps surprising you with all the skills he's learned. Art is one of his favorites, and while he waves away your praises at his little doodles, it means quite a lot to the man.

You tend to find little drawings on your papers, sticky notes, really any paper you have lying around.

As a date night idea, you proposed the two of you start a sketchbook!

It went well, and you pass the book back and forth every so often.

Seeing quite the impressive portrait he made next to your small cat doodle, it makes Ardyn smile.

[blossom-adventures]

Ok ok, so I found out that yesterday was Seradyn’s birthday! So I have done her a special little story to celebrate!

Happy Birthday @seradyn

Birthday Plans!

Working as secretary of Chancellor Izunia was an odd experience, everyday you came into work not knowing what you would be faced with. Sometimes the Chancellor was in his office, sometimes you saw him leaving, or he was arriving as you were about to finish for the day, but more often than not, he was not there at all, today was one of those days.

You never particularly liked working on your birthday but it wasn’t something you could get out of, unless it fell on a weekend. So you arrived at work and made your way to the Chancellors office, as usual there was a hand written schedule waiting for you on his desk, it had the usual requests on it, until the last thing on the list, in Izunia’s elegant hand writing. 19:00 - wait outside your apartment

“Huh? That’s odd” you mutter as you reread the other requests on the schedule, everything else seemed normal; deliver some files to Lord Basithia’s office, collect the transcript of a meeting the Chancellor missed from the Emperors secretary, and tidy the office.

You got back to your apartment just after 5, unlocking the door and stepping in, you stop at the open door, staring into the room. On the coffee table in the centre there was a large bouquet of flowers in a vase, next to it was a large flat box.

The fact that these had turned up while you were at work prompted you to check every room, door and window, all of which were clear or locked, so you returned to the main room and sat down in front of the coffee table. The flowers were all your favourites, all expertly arranged. On top of the box there was an envelope, you open it and read the letter inside. If I had known before today that it was your birthday, I would have let you have the day off. I hope these gifts make up for me making you work on your birthday, enjoy the rest of your day, A

“The… the Chancellor got me these?!” You mutter as you admire the flowers. Wait… when have I mentioned when my birthday is… or what my favourite flowers are?

Your eyes drift down to the box and slowly lift the lid, you sit in shocked silence for a while as you look at the gift inside; a blood red dress, sitting on top of it was a note. Wear this tonight, be outside at 7, A.

“By the Six!” You gasp as you lift the dress out of its box, you had never owned anything so expensive! It had a low neckline and no back and it was made of such fine fabric.

You spend the next hour or so preparing the rest of your outfit as well as your hair before getting the dress of, and it fit perfectly

Gralea was dark by the time you left your apartment, there were 3 cars parked in the apartments parking lot, 2 you knew belonged to residents, the 3rd looked like one of the cars you’d see on the way into work, one of the Keeps private cars, leaning against it was Chancellor Izunia, but he wasn’t wearing his usual outfit, you could feel your cheeks start to flush as you stared at him; he was wearing a blood red, button up shirt, black diner jacket and matching trousers and long black coat, which had gold accessories. He also wore one of his usual patterned scarves in place of a tie, and his hair, though still unruly in places was tied up, revealing more of his jawline and neck than you’d ever seen exposed before. The only thing - other than the scarf - that seemed to be the same were his fingerless gloves.

As he caught sight of you he gave you one of his usual smirks and walked over to you.

“Well now, I must say, that dress looks beautiful on you”

“Thank you… Chancellor” he let out a light chuckle

“My dear, please, call me Ardyn” He reached out and took your hand, and brought it up to his lips. You were certain that the blush you had was now as red as your dress, but Ardyn didn’t comment on it. “Now, I have a table reservation for us, so we should go” Ardyn turned and returned to the car before noticing you hadn’t moved. “You need not be nervous, my dear, it’s just dinner, what do you say?” He held out his hand and waited for you to move

“I… I’d be honoured Chan… Ardyn”

Happy Birthday Seradyn! 🌸

I’m sure you’re familiar with the outfit I’ve described for Ardyn but if not, it’s this one from Noctglaive 😉☺️

[itsgeecheebitch]

Until Darkness Descends

Chapter: 42/?

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV

Rating: Explicit

Series: The Fall Part 1 of 4

Main Pair: Ardyn Izunia x Reader

Sec Pair: Gladiolus Amicitia x Reader

    A few days passed when the team finally located the regalia. Turns out  the empire had it all along just as Gladiolus had suspected. With the car back in your possession, and your plans for Cape Caem falling into place, you and the boys made your way to Lestallum. None of you had any intention of leaving Iris and the others in the city while you sailed east to Altissia. 

      Cid had informed you of a safe house he built near the lighthouse in Caem. Quiet, spacious, remote, a perfect hiding place from the empire. Iris, Talcott, and Jared would be safe there unlike in Lestallum. While Iris and the others were currently living amongst refugees from the capital, strength in numbers didn't mean much when they had a close connection to the five most wanted ‘fugitives’ Nilfheim was after. 

       Leaning your head back, the sun beamed down on your face, turning the inside of your eyelids red as you closed them. You hoped they would agree to go. While Cape Caem wasn't as exciting as a bustling city, it was safer and they would be surrounded by guards who would protect them. The deep rumbling of an engine disturbed your musings, alerting you to something huge flying overhead.

        Opening your eyes, you saw a massive platform soar through the sky. The insignia for the empire stared back at you from the platform’s edge. A dizzying bout of unease rushed through your system. It was flying in the direction of the city. Lestallum had remained a free city state for so long, but something told you it would be the empire’s next destination…and soon. So soon it made the back of your neck prickle with raised hair. You needed to get the three of them out of the city before that could happen.

       The sounds and smells of the city greeted the five of you as you arrived. The fetid stench of sulfur from the factories curled around your nose, nearly burying the savory scent from the food stalls that dotted the industrial landscape. Parking the car, you and the boys made your way to the Leville. 

         The sun was on your back, heating your skin till it glistened with sweat. Once you arrived at the hotel, you found Iris standing in the lobby alone. Her cheeks puffy and her eyes rimmed red. Dread froze your stomach solid. You knew something terrible had happened even before she said it. 

       “Oh Gladdy…”, she whimpered.

       Muscles tensed, Noctis approached her. “What's wrong?”

      “It's Jared…something happened!” Iris cried. Without another word, the boys escorted her to one of the rooms you had pre-booked, your gut in knots as she revealed everything that had happened. A few days ago Niflheim soldiers had stormed the Leville, looking for you and the boys after you had regained the regalia. Enraged that you weren’t there, they slaughtered Jared in your stead. 

       Ice spread over your chest like a tumor till all you could feel was guilt. You knew Jared for as long as you knew your boyfriend and his sister. Although he had alway maintained a certain level of decorum, as dictated by his profession, he was always warm. Kind. He didn't deserve to die when he did nothing wrong. A tear slid down your face before you realized it had fallen. 

      You wondered who it was that ordered the manhunt. Was it Ardyn? Was that why he allowed you and your friends to drive off with the regalia? A shudder rushed across your body. You knew they would retaliate for what you did to their base, but you didn’t think it would result in one of your own paying the price for it.

      The door hinges keened as it was forced open. Your heart broke in two when you saw it was Talcott standing in the doorway. Rising from his chair, Noctis knelt in front of him, opening and closing his mouth while he tried to find the words to say.  “It's not right, we should've been here.” He said.

     “I…I couldn't stop them!” Talcott cried.

      A part of you wanted to comfort the boy too. Pull him into your arms and promise that everything would be okay, but you knew it wouldn't be. At the end of the day he would still be left without his grandfather, the only family he had left. It was probably Ardyn's fault that he was orphaned a second time.

      You missed the rest of the exchange and watched as the little boy walked away. The ghost of his tears haunted you and made your chest swell with unshed tears.

      “I'm taking Talcott and we're going somewhere else.” Iris said, wiping her eyes with the backside of her hand. “Lestallum isn't safe anymore. We can't just stay here and wait for them to come back!”

      Gladiolus knelt down beside her and placed his hand over hers. “We actually came here to make arrangements for you and Talcott to go to Caem. We'll make sure you guys get there safely so you don't have to worry.”

       “Who's taking us?” She asked. 

       “Monica more than likely. she seemed on board when we last called.”

       “Okay...are we leaving together?”

       “Unfortunately, no.” You whipped your head around to Ignis who was leaning against the wall. A frown was on his face as he delivered his next words. “It'll take Monica a little over two days to reach here from where she is currently stationed. We cannot risk delaying our arrival.”

      A shadow of disappointment darkened her crestfallen face. It didn't seem fair to leave Iris and Talcott all alone after what happened. They already spent so many days alone with their grief only to be told they had to do it a second time. But it couldn't be helped. Noctis needed to get to Altissia as soon as possible. During their encounter with Gentiana, the group found out Lunafreya planned to awaken the water goddess.

      You guys had no way of knowing when she planned to do it, which was why you had to get there as soon as possible. But still, this situation didn't feel right. 

       Your boyfriend seemed to agree since he said, “don't worry I'm not going anywhere.” Then he turned to address the rest of you. “I'll hitch a ride with Monica and keep Iris company.”

      “No, I'll stay back.” You said before you could stop yourself. “Noctis needs his shield, he can't risk losing you while the empire is on our trail. In fact, if any of us is going to stay back then Iris may as well ride with you guys. there'll be room in the back and I'll just hitch a ride with Monica and Talcott.”

       Gladiolus stood up from his position on the floor and folded his arms over his chest. “Nah, it'll be too dangerous.”

       “So is leaving her with Monica as her only defense.” You reasoned. “The empire knows our faces, they may even know that Iris is an Amicitia. if the empire wants to strike someone close to the crown, then they would do it whether or not she is with you. Iris would be more protected riding with the four of you than with Monica.”

        The room fell silent with everyone contemplating your words. Ignis was the first to break the ice, rubbing his chin in that way of his that let you know he was thinking. “You make a rather compelling argument.”

      “I say we take her with us, it might be fun.” Prompto said.

       Noctis turned to you. “You sure you're okay with staying behind?”

      “Yeah.” You replied. “It's the least I could do.” It took some convincing but Gladiolus agreed eventually. When that was settled, Iris went back to her room, leaving the boys to discuss their frustrations over Jared. Prompto proposed getting revenge on the empire and Noctis remembered the flying Niflheim base they rode passed on the way here.

        It was a unanimous decision once the suggestion was made and the boys took off in search of the base, leaving you to watch over a heartbroken Iris and tearful Talcott. You tried to cheer them up as best as you could for the rest of the day, rented movies from the hotel’s cinema library, played cards, and strolled through the building.

       But at night with the kids tucked in bed, it was you who was swamped with thoughts. The room was dark with only a thin stream of silver light to illuminate the four walls of the room. Noctis and the others weren't back yet and would more than likely not return till tomorrow. It was in that moment that your mind began to play, haunting you like a tune echoing through an abandoned opera house. 

       Memories you hadn't thought about in a while floated into your head like notes of sweet perfume, making your chest twinge with bittersweet nostalgia. You remembered the first time you met Jared. It was on a cool evening. The desert wind was cruel as it whipped your face and brushed the ring of inflamed flesh that was around your neck.

      You were eleven at the time. Ardyn hadn't visited you in over three weeks and your parents were becoming crueler by the day. Thoughts of running away were what propelled your legs despite the burning in your chest. Pins and needles danced on your face, freezing the tears rushing down your cheeks. You turned a corner and bumped into something solid and warm before crashing onto the ground. 

      When you looked up you saw wisps of white hair and a face weathered by years of hard work. Panic bubbled in your throat at the first trace of recognition. You’ve seen this man a few times before. At a distance and occasionally accompanying the Amicitia family heir. He worked for them. If he worked for a powerful noble family then that meant he more than likely knew who you were. 

        The bubble in your throat popped, flooding your body with searing adrenaline. What if he asked where your parents were? What if he took you back? Your mind raced, competing with the thrashing of your beating heart. But instead of one of your nightmare scenarios coming to life he knelt down on the ground, dropping his bags of groceries as he did. 

      He asked if you were alright. When you didn’t answer you saw his eyes zero in on the angry welts wrapped around your neck. You slapped your hand over the marks and quickly healed then. Much to your surprise, he didn't ask about them and instead offered to buy you tea and a warm meal, which you accepted after a brief moment of hesitation. Since then, Jared had become something of a grandfather to you. He was aware of what most people pretended to not notice. He helped you befriend the Amicitia children so you could have a home away from home whenever you needed an escape.

        You released the balloon building in your chest and sobbed into your pillow. He was a good man. He didn't deserve to die. Never again would you be able to see his warm smile, or taste his pancakes, or even talk to him. A sharp pain cleaved a chunk of your heart. You just keep losing the people you care about left and right. You lost your circus family and now you lost Jared…and it could've been Ardyn's fault.

       The door groaned and you sat up. Wiping away your tears, you expected to see Talcott or Iris when the clawing scent of citrus hit your nose. Your eyes hardened at the towering shadow moving through the dark. A blade of silver light peeled the shadows from his face, revealing his brilliant amber eyes.

      You turned away. “What do you want?”

       “I came to check on you, my dear. I know my...affection must've troubled you.” Ardyn said. Warmth leeched down your legs at the memory his words had inspired.But you choked it down quickly before it could reveal itself on your face.

        “That kiss is the farthest thing from my mind right now” You mumbled. Your glare cut through the darkness till you found his gaze. “Did you send them? The soldiers that came here, did you order them to kill someone close to the prince?”

         The floorboards creaked the closer he came to your bed. “No, but I was aware of it nonetheless. It was Lieutenant Fleuret who orchestrated the ambush. I advised against it, but it seems he heeded none of it. I truly feel sorry for your loss, my dear.”

          You felt your animosity, as fragile as it was, crumble to dust and float away on the wind. An all encompassing despair took its place, slamming into you like violent waves against a rocky cliff. The bed dipped. His hand wrapped around the back of your head and guided you down to his chest. Your fingers curled into his coat as you sobbed.

          You breathed him in, soaking up that tropical scent that accompanied him wherever he went. It flooded your lungs, warming the melancholy that trapped your insides in a block of ice. Then you remembered yourself. “You need to go.” You pulled away but Ardyn refused to let you go. “You can’t be here.”

       “I come as a friend and nothing more, you have my word.” It was a weak argument but it was enough to shatter the last of your defenses. You didn't fight him as he guided you back into his arms. You knew this was anything but platonic. There was love in the way he rubbed your back. His lips were a feather light touch on the top of your head. Now that his affections were made clear as day, you couldn't read his touch as anything else than what it truly was. 

       Instead of turning it away, you invited it with open arms. You cried into his chest, knowing it wasn't right to find comfort in the arms of another man. You just made a promise to yourself that you would be a better girlfriend for Gladiolus, all it took to discard that promise was one little visit from the man you never truly stopped wanting. 

       You were foul in every sense of the word but at this moment you didn't care. Gladiolus was miles away and left you to face your grief on your own. You weren't strong enough to stand under the full weight of it by yourself. Nor were you strong enough to withstand the full depth of your failure. Twice had you failed the people who needed you most. You weren't there when king Regis fell to his enemies and you weren't there when Jared met his demise. 

       Glittery green light swirled around your fingers like fireflies, as if reminding you of the power that coursed through your veins. You sighed and the light faded away from your hand. What was the point of having the ability to undo death if you couldn't use it to save the people you cared about? 

       Your face lit up with an idea. You looked up at Ardyn with a face damped with tears. “What did they do to his body? to Jared's?” You said. Hope rode hard on your lungs, making your breaths come out in thin gasps. Maybe there was a way to bring Jared back. Ardyn was a prominent politician in the empire, one with enough power to bring you Jared’s remains unquestioned. 

       Sympathy flitted across his face and your hopes died on a whimper. “There is nothing left to salvage of his remains, I'm afraid.” His arms tightened around you. “Even if I could scrap up what is left, it would not be enough to revive him, I'm sorry.”

       Ardyn rocked you, silencing your anguish with gentle shushes and feather light caresses. He tucked you in once your tears finally stopped. Without a word, he rose from the bed and approached the door. Only stopping when you whimpered, “don't go…”

       The shadows masked the way his shoulders tensed and he came back to the bed. Your side warmed as he laid down beside you and pulled you back into his arms. 

      It was about an hour or so ago when you fell asleep, but Ardyn remained. The moon shone brightly against your face, illuminating every lash that laid against your cheeks. His finger whispered across your jaw, so softly, barely touching, as though you were a freshly painted portrait he didn't want to disturb. 

       Almost two weeks had passed since he began to wonder who you really were. The more he looked at you, the more that crushing agony devoured his chest. He had longed for you for so long. Longed to touch you, to kiss you, to talk to you, now that he had you he was about to lose you all over again. 

        This time by his own hand. Over the past two weeks he agonized over his options, combing through every scenario in the hopes that one would leave you alive. He considered just killing Noctis. But just like you he was under the gods’ protection. He wouldn't die until he became the chosen king and fulfilled his role.

      Ardyn considered stealing you away ahead of time. Hide you within the heart of the empire and kill Noctis when the time comes. But just as the prophecy dictated, if he allowed himself to be happy with you, to fully embrace his love for you, his powers would weaken and he would succumb to his brother’s descendent.

      No matter the scenario the end result remained the same. Unless he was willing to forsake his revenge he had no choice but to hurt you. Ardyn held you tighter against him. There was another option he considered, but only briefly. He could spend his final days with you before offering himself up to the slaughter. It was the only option that would leave you happy and live, the only one where he would be able to enjoy his wife before losing you forever. But it was an option he could not take.

       He had come too far to let it all go to waste now. No matter how much he cared about you it would never be enough to quench his need for revenge. If that was the path he chose then he did not deserve to be with you. He did not deserve to hold you in his arms and bask in the temporary peace it gave him. Peeling away from you, he rose from the bed and conjured a piece of paper from thin air. 

       Scribbling a quick note, he left his number at the bottom of the page and left the note for you on the nightstand. His heart was heavy as he reached for the door. He knew he shouldn’t have but he looked back at you one final time. You didn’t deserve what he was about to do to you. But Ardyn was no longer the selfless healer you fell in love with 2,000 years ago. He was a hardened monster that could only deliver pain and the only thing you would ever receive from him was pain. Opening the door, he walked away with his heart breaking off piece by piece.  

[savage-rhi]

Mending Shadows // Chapter 32

Summary:

Y/N was a simple Scavenger of Lucis, until meeting a deadly blow at the hands of an infected creature. At the crossroads of death, they are found by Niflheim’s cryptic Chancellor with his own agenda. Now bonded to Ardyn Izunia, and tossed into the world of Niflheim, Y/N struggles to cope with their new life as an Imperial Icon all the while battling their feelings toward their fate and that of Ardyn’s.

Click here to read on AO3

Tuti had never been so frightened in her life. With her back to the wall, she attempted to gather her bearings. The task was proving to be a futile effort, for her lungs clamored for oxygen. Her throat felt shattered with every inhale of breath. She was quite surprised to have a voice given her consistent screaming. A part of her subconscious that wasn’t falling apart at the seams joked she could’ve passed as an operatic singer in another life, for her air capacity seemed unyielding. 

Unyielding…Gods, she wished to have such strength. Her fingertips quivered against the cobblestone upon her back, wondering if she should look around the corner. A terrible crunch had Tuti reconsider tactics as her body flinched. Low growls intertwined with a quelching noise that fanned the flames of dread inside of her. She could feel it slither down her back, causing her legs to tremble. 

Tuti knew what awaited her around the edge, and the ghastly sight that would surely burn into her conscious for all time. Yet her curiosity was tempted to take a gander at what Y/N was doing to the bodies. 

Only for a second…She told herself. Just one second…

Tuti sealed her lips tight--took in a deep breath--and inched little by little.

As her head turned she resisted the urge to gasp. Six to seven corpses were scattered around. She and Y/N were a long way from the building that MedZin originally trapped them at. Tuti reminded herself there were plenty of lost souls to be found, and her eyes followed a trail of fresh blood. She settled her gaze on Y/N's back. 

Tuti squinted her eyes to get a better look. Y/N was crouched above the body of a woman. Although she couldn’t make heads or tails of what was happening, she knew Y/N was eating her. The squishy noise of flesh being ripped had Tuti’s stomach fighting the urge to throw up as goosebumps trailed the fine hairs along her arms. 

Gods be damned upon me…Regret took the form of tears in the corner of her eyes.

Tuti knew she should’ve bolted when the men unhanded her to deal with Y/N’s daemonic state. She should’ve ran like hell until her legs could no longer carry the weight of her guilt, but devotion was a fickle thing. She couldn’t in good conscience leave Y/N behind. Not even if they had become a monster and massacred all who tried to stand in their way. Y/N was important, and so was witnessing every horrible act they committed. 

Tuti’s thoughts were interrupted as Y/N's growls began to stagnate. Their breathing quaked, and they suddenly flung the corpse away from them. 

Tuti jumped as the body tumbled off to the side. The strength behind the shove had her grimace. She could only imagine what her poor body would've felt had she been on the receiving end. Her pondering ceased as her eyes once again followed Y/N. 

Y/N started to crawl on all fours as if bipedalism was an uncommon state of being. Their head violently shook from side to side while anguished shrills crept past their lips. Eyes tightly closed as bits of light from the sun trickled into the room. Suddenly, Y/N began to choke on warm blood that flooded their entire throat. Their body heaved as contents from their stomach began to spill. Black bile and bits of meat collapsed onto the floor, creating a noise that sounded like expired milk meeting concrete. The sensation was beyond words and disgust. Painful wheezes were the only noise Y/N made for a time. 

The purge of flesh had momentarily snapped Y/N’s conscious out of its catatonic state. They collapsed on their side, only to scramble to their knees once they caught a whiff of the vomit that lay not far. Weakly, Y/N forced the upper half of their body to rise. With heavy breaths, Y/N opened their black and yellow eyes as their head leaned back. They stared at the ceiling as the world twisted in disarray. They had no idea who they were, or what was going on, but everything felt terribly wrong. 

Y/N slowly brought their hands up to their eyes. A blotched purple hue plagued their skin as did black spider webbing. Then there was the blood. A murky red that nearly camouflaged well against their clawed fingertips. The copper smell inflamed their nostrils, and their heart skipped a beat. For a split second, Y/N became aware of what was going on. Tears instantly streamed from their eyes, mingling with the same black bile that touched their chin and mouth. The scourge--catching wind that it's hold was failing--attempted to steer it's vessel in another direction. Y/N felt their skull split in half as their brain was doused in sickness. 

Throwing back their head, Y/N let out an inhuman screech. The sounds devolved into melancholic growls. More sun came through and they covered their eyes. In a frenzy, Y/N dug their nails into their scalp to relieve themself of pain. Their cries weakened further, and their normal voice started to peak through the cracks of daemonification.  

All Tuti could do was cover her mouth as she watched. Her own tears had become heavy as she witnessed Y/N attempting to shine through the monstrous mask. She could scarce believe it. That there was someone that still remained underneath all that. 

A loose lightbulb overhead suddenly dropped near Tuti’s location. She gasped into her hand, observing the shattered glass then looked up. Y/N was staring right at her, unblinking. 

“By the six, Y/N…” Tuti stuttered. “Don’t come here. Please. Please. Don’t come here.” 

Y/N’s head canted to the side in a swift motion. The movement reminded Tuti of a bird cocking its head out of curiosity. Y/N sniffled and leaned forward. Once again on their hands and knees, they slowly crawled toward Tuti. Y/N's features went neutral while never taking their eyes off of her. 

Tuti wanted to scream.

Most would’ve followed animal instinct and run, but Tuti froze. She tried to rationalize her choice to remain, given what she witnessed when the MedZin soldiers attempted to flee. They were cut limb from limb in a matter of seconds. Perhaps if she stood her ground, this creature at the helm of Y/N’s body wouldn’t see her as a threat. By all accounts this was stupid, but she had no other choice but to lock in as Y/N was no more than ten feet away now. 

Y/N’s head twitched as they sniffed the air. Blinking a few times, the neutrality they wore began to shift. Fright plagued the dark eyes that stared right at Tuti. Uncertain what to make of her, all the while remaining attentive to what she’d do next. 

Tuti felt like she was going to have a heart attack.

“It’s alright,” Tuti whispered, more to herself than to Y/N. “It’s alright.” 

Y/N seemed to be hypnotized by her words, and Tuti let out a breath she had been holding back. The purr like snort Y/N let out would’ve been almost endearing had they not been consuming a person moments ago.

“Y/N, it’s okay.” Tuti nodded as her lips quivered into a smile. “Everything’s going to be fine!”

Everything’s going to be fine, but not for the dead...Tuti recalled the body count and bit her lip. Now wasn't the time for survivors guilt. Not when she had Y/N more or less settled down. 

“Y/N,” Tuti murmured. “I’m going to get help. Do you know what that means? I’m going to fetch the Chancellor. He’ll be here, and you’ll be okay. You hear that? You’re going to be just fine. He’ll fix this!” 

She took one step backward and all hell broke loose. 

Y/N lunged forward, snapping their mouth in rapid succession at Tuti while they attempted to grab her. Tuti let out a high pitch scream and bolted. Panting heavily, she sprinted down a hall and made a right. Her body slammed into a door, and she let out a pained yelp. She ignored whatever bruises were gained and continued to run as the sound of Y/N's brisk claws rapidly trailed. Suddenly, Tuti felt a huge weight upon her back as Y/N launched themself at her. 

Tuti shrieked and she tumbled to the floor with Y/N. Save for the stinging lacerations Y/N inflicted, Tuti couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on. She yelled and used her weight against Y/N, and forced them both to roll over several times before coming to a stop. Tuti felt the wind knock out of her as Y/N slammed her to the ground. Frantically, Tuti's right arm reached out for whatever was near, and pulled a rifle off a MedZin corpse and used it to block Y/N's mashing teeth from reaching her face at the last second. 

“Y/N! Stop it!” Tuti bellowed. Her plead fell on deaf ears as Y/N kept snapping. The material of the gun was being peeled away quick, and Tuti knew she didn’t have long. Her eyes rapidly glanced between both their bodies, and using all her strength, Tuti pushed up and kicked Y/N not once but several times in the abdomen.

One pained cry after another escaped Y/N, and while stunned, Tuti adjusted the rifle and used it to hit them across the face. The power behind Tuti’s hit forced Y/N off as they plummeted to the side and away from her. 

Tuti scrambled to her feet and ran before Y/N had the chance to recover and finish the job. She ran so fast that the muscles in her calves began to spasm. 

“You there, miss!” An Accordo trooper beckoned Tuti to come forth. “Miss, do you need help? We’re looking for survivors of an explosion! Miss! Miss!”

Tuti didn’t register the soldiers who had come to search for survivors. She didn’t hear Y/N let out a haunting scream, nor did she hear the conversation the men had amongst themselves as to what caused it. She didn’t hear them make haste toward Y/N’s location. She didn’t hear the yells, the gunfire, or the sound of an unknown weapon going off, causing Y/N pain beyond measure that the daemonic voice all but disappeared as the human within called out her name. 

“TUTI!” 

Her ears fell numb to the world, and she didn’t stop running.

After what felt like an eternity, exhaustion had Tuti come to a halt. Out of breath and wheezing, Tuti forced her dry eyes to look around and figure out where she ended up. Buildings that hadn't been touched by the earlier attack greeted her as did a clear sky. The smoke was long gone, and there were seldom few down this road, save for Accordo troopers securing the area. It didn't take long for Tuti to realize she was in one of the districts closest to the port. 

“Thank heavens,” she said in between harsh breaths. She grimaced at feeling her clothes stick to her skin from all her perspiration, and felt guilty. This was nothing compared to what Y/N was enduring--that is if they were still alive. Tuti didn't have time to entertain the thought any further as a strong hand gripped her shoulder. She felt the world spin and she screamed. 

Ardyn flinched from the screech, making a face as he shook his head. “Tuti?”

“Chancellor Izunia?” Tuti’s bottom lip quivered, happy to see a familiar face. She threw her arms out and embraced him. "Oh thank the six!" 

Ardyn was dumbfounded as his arms flew up to avoid being fully ensnared. He acknowledged Tuti had a forcible strength despite her small frame, and wasn't sure if that shocked him or the fact someone genuinely sounded relieved to be basking in his presence. He looked down and his gaze met hers. Tuti's heartsore eyes reminded Ardyn of a devout praying before the heavens to be freed of strife. 

“Y/N is back there! I couldn’t do anything but watch. There was so much blood! Y/N’s not themself, and I don’t know what to do! What are we going to do? I didn’t want to run, but what choice did I have?! Y/N tried to kill me and I…Chancellor, what are we going to do?!”

“My dear, you’re going to let me go for starters.” Ardyn grimaced as he calmly coaxed Tuti’s arms and hands away from him. He composed himself the best he could, and softened his hardened gaze. “Second, I need you to breathe. Can you do that?”

“I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I can do that!” 

“You can and you will if you care for what happens to Y/N!” Ardyn stated firmly. He somewhat prided himself in the fact he scared her, for Tuti's disposition immediately changed like a switch going off. She shook like a cat who had nearly drowned as Ardyn gestured for her to follow his motions, taking in a big inhale followed by an exhale. Little by little, she started to regain her old self from what he gathered. 

“Good, good,” Ardyn replied eagerly. He only had so much patience to aid someone with a basic mindfulness technique. 

“Chancellor--”

“Tuti,” Ardyn rested both hands upon her shoulders, minding not to put his weight on her. He made a great effort to not sound hostile, nor give away the desperation that was tugging his pulse. “It’s imperative I know where Y/N is at. I need you to tell me everything.” 

“I…alright,” Tuti swallowed. She studied Ardyn's features, noting how tired he was, and she felt a pinch of intimidation run down her body. She also couldn't help but notice how golden his eyes were. Not like the earthy brown tones she had seen in many common people, but an almost ethereal hue that felt dangerous. For a second, Tuti thought she was looking at Y/N's daemonic eyes. Her breath hitched and she averted her gaze. No longer having the strength to be reminded of what almost killed her. 

“Y/N and I were heading for the port to evacuate. The Imperial caravan at the hotel was long gone by the time Loqui and I found them. We took to the smaller roads to avoid the crowds. Then out of nowhere, there was this…explosion. It was like a star fell from the heavens and blinded us. The impact sent Y/N and I flying in opposite directions. When I came to, I frantically looked for Y/N before I was manhandled by these people in black uniforms with a red patch--MedZin I think. They talked so fast, but they planned to take Y/N with them and kill me.” She had to pause for a moment, shuddering from the implications of her fate had Y/N not taken to rage. 

“And then?” Ardyn besought. 

Tuti let out a breath. “Y/N suddenly turned into…something else. A daemon. One by one, our adversaries were slain, but MedZin tossed another one of those bombs at us. Y/N retreated deeper into the building to avoid it. I stupidly chased, and Y/N just kept getting more and more violent. MedZin retreated at that point because Y/N overwhelmed them--"

“Do you know where the men ran off to?” Ardyn interrupted. 

“No,” Tuti shook her head. “I wasn’t paying attention. I was too scared Y/N was going to find me. There was a moment I thought Y/N came to their senses, but they tried to attack me. I ended up hurting them, and I think Accordo troopers went seeking them out.” she pointed past him. “The building, it was several blocks down that way…you can’t miss the impact site of the bomb.”

Ardyn let go of Tuti’s shoulders and made a fist. His fingers were loosing blood from the pressure he applied.

“Chancellor, I beseech you I didn’t mean to leave Y/N behind,” Tuti sniffled. She could sense the brief hostility that traveled through him, despite his hands no longer being upon her body. “I’m so sorry--I thought…”

“Don’t speak any further,” Ardyn breathed. He resisted the urge to strike, knowing most would’ve done what she did in order to survive. Using his right index finger, Ardyn poked underneath Tuti’s chin and coaxed her to look up before letting go. “You have my sincere appreciation for what you’ve confessed. What come may, I’ll handle everything.”

“T-thank you, Chancellor.” Tuti weakly gave a bow with her head. As she rose, she followed Ardyn’s hand while he gestured toward a group of Higher Imperials from afar, being escorted by two magitek soldiers. Her heart skipped a beat, knowing there were familiar faces. 

“Go to them,” Ardyn encouraged. “Now.” 

Tuti glanced over him one last time before she found the courage to pick up her feet again. 

After taking in the destruction nearby, Ardyn shadow stepped and headed for the spot Tuti had pointed out. While he transcended through space like nothing, he suddenly felt his body wanting to give out, and it did just that. His breathing raced as the scourge traveled through him, and Ardyn suddenly came to a grinding halt. 

“Oh Gods…” He hoarsely whispered, feeling his heart cease like it had been grasped by someone with a tight grip. The last time Ardyn felt his heart stop beating was when Somnus struck him down during their duel for the throne. He remembered it well. Pain and confusion danced in harmony as air left his lungs, and the muscle of his heart desperately pumped without realizing the action would be its undoing. Ardyn felt that same suffering both physically and metaphorically in the present. 

Multiple points on his body started to become inflamed, as if the very fibers of Ardyn's muscles wanted to break through his skin. He then heard horrid screams pulse in his ears, and behind his eyes he saw a familiar daemonic entity wearing Y/N's face. The scourge felt beyond excited. The rush of despair Ardyn felt at the last second on Y/N's behalf at Outpost 98 came back to haunt him with a vengeance. Y/N--his Y/N--was close to the finish line just as before. 

“Pull yourself together!” Ardyn snarled. He once again shadow stepped as if the gods themselves were trailing him in a hunt. 

Minutes passed, and Ardyn neared the site of the explosion. He didn’t want to waste time, but couldn’t resist taking a gander at the impact point. A hint of a sulfur like odor hung in the air which caused him to grimace. He then picked up on a bouquet of scents that had the scourge in his body attempting to shirk away. The hivemind didn’t like this. Not one bit. 

“A suffoco was deployed,” Ardyn said quietly to himself, and looked ahead to the large hole that led inside the building. A shroud of screams came tumbling out, and Ardyn braced himself for the worst as he ventured forth into the fray. 

The interior of the building was an abysmal mess. What was once a lavish series of offices and intricate halls was now a pigsty of debris, brick, and blood. Ardyn didn’t envy whoever worked here. He imagined how tedious the task would be picking up after the carnage he had observed left and right. The foul sweet smell of the scourge within Y/N’s blood waft in the air, and like an addict, Ardyn eagerly followed the trail. 

A noise with a rhythmic tap rang in his ears before the explosion went off. Ardyn lost his balance, and slouched against the wall nearest to his right. It felt as if the rays of the sun kissed through all layers of his flesh. A pained moan fell past his lips. His right hand reached for his chest, and trembled up his neck as a strain took hold. 

Confusion rampaged across Ardyn’s eyes while he rapidly glanced around. With each pass of air through his lungs, Ardyn felt his organs clamoring for relief. The commotion was far away. He hadn’t been hit by a suffoco, but by the gods, did it feel like it. 

As his ears rang, the rapid tempo of a pulse soon took over as the dominant noise. It wasn’t his heartbeat, but that of another. It hit him all at once as his mind seemingly began to download information at a speed unfathomable to a mortal. 

Y/N couldn't breathe. They were alone, terrified, and suffering. The scourge had given up its lust for dominance over the host, and was attacking the body from the inside out in a crude attempt to relieve itself of affliction. Ardyn felt his body flux in temperature. One moment boiling, the next cold as ice. The daemonic entities that resided within screeched so loud, that Ardyn shouted while covering his ears. Falling forward, the shrieking evolved into desperate murmurs of incoherent thought. 

“Y/N,” Ardyn gasped. His brain felt like it was melting, but he tried to keep himself afloat. The sclera of his eyes became a pitch black void, and Ardyn instinctively began to follow the voices and Y/N's pulse. 

With every step, Ardyn felt agony like no other wash over his soul. He nearly tripped over himself a few times, not used to taking on the burdens of a mortal. Despite discomfort, he persisted on his path. Gods be damned anyone or anything that got in the way of the impulse he felt enslaved to. The very atoms of his being desperately yearned to be with who his scourge had imprinted upon. 

Soon enough, Ardyn arrived in the room where he assumed Y/N would be. He stopped to catch his breath and looked downward. Bodies of Accordo troopers littered the area. He couldn’t sense any other life present, until heavy breaths captured his attention.

Ardyn watched in dismay as Y/N suddenly emerged. Like a fish out of water, Y/N crashed and tumbled into everything. In between hysterics, Ardyn noticed Y/N's skin sizzling with an artificial smell that was likened to a rich spice. Y/N had been directly hit by a suffoco, and the light magic within the orb had triggered asphyxiation. He could feel the light that had penetrated attempting to purge the scourge by any means necessary. 

Ardyn briefly recalled witnessing demonstrations of the weapons use from Accordo officials. It was one thing to watch in trials, but another to helplessly observe a daemonified creature go through such suffering. He was pulled out of his head as Y/N choked while trying in vain to scream, and made direct eye contact with them. 

Despite a pair of abyssal eyes staring him down, Ardyn could see the human showing through. A desperate plead haunted Y/N’s features, and he felt his blood run cold knowing subconsciously what Y/N was telling him despite not having full control of their actions:

They were making their peace with the end. 

“No, no, no!” Ardyn shook his head. His voice teetered on the edge between human and monster, enough to startle Y/N. “You don’t have the right to do that! You don’t have the damned right! We don't take the easy way out, Y/N!" 

For a moment, Ardyn thought he had them under his control until he witnessed Y/N’s scourge veins rapidly pulsate. It was like witnessing a caterpillar attempting to burst out of its cocoon in a bloody mess. During his turmoil, Ardyn didn't pay attention to the fact Y/N suddenly attacked him. The punches made him snarl, and he felt Y/N cut open his left arm with a swipe of their clawed fingertips. Ardyn let out a pained hiss as Y/N flung themself off and retreated. 

“Y/N, come back!” Ardyn beseeched with a yell. “Y/N!” 

He chased after them and Y/N collapsed against the legs of a table nearby. Their airway now almost completely blocked, they began to let out a sickening wheeze. Ardyn came to their side and fell upon his knees. He gathered Y/N's body into his arms. His tear brimmed eyes desperately searched them over while he tried to shake them back into consciousness. 

“Oh no, no, no! Y/N!” Ardyn's voice strained while his mind flickered between the past and present. Y/N's painful rasps intermingled with the somber breaths Aera had taken before she had perished. History was repeating itself in a way that crushed him more than the blade of Somnus piercing his back, and Ardyn desperately cried out as Y/N violently escaped from his grasp. 

Amidst the sudden jolt, Ardyn froze as an idea leeched into his head. If the panic could be settled, if the scourge could be reassured--like he had done for Y/N's flares in the past--perhaps there was a chance of survival. Instinct beckoned him to give more of his scourge to Y/N, and to lure Y/N's pain to a singular point. 

Ardyn's mouth fell open as he saw the irony of their roles being reversed. It was now Y/N's turn to feed off him in order to heal. While the thought seemed counterintuitive, he had to try. He couldn't--no, he wouldn't go through a painful loss again. He rapidly began to think of ways to get the scourge into Y/N. There was nothing sterile like a syringe near, and he scarce doubted such an item existed in an office setting. Ardyn nearly settled for hovering his injured arm above their mouth and letting the scourge drip, but he realized Y/N could choke further.

"There's gotta be some damned way to-!"

Ardyn looked down at his sliced arm, watching blood and dark bile seep from the wound. His heart skipped a beat as revelation cleared his mind, then carefully brought the injured limb to his mouth and started to suckle. Ardyn could feel the underside of his tongue fill with scourge, and he tried to contain it without it falling to the back of his throat. After consuming much, he lifted his head. Blood and scourge oozed from the corners of his mouth as a determined fixation lingered in his gaze. 

While Y/N began to rise from the ground, Ardyn’s right hand grabbed a hold of their head from the chin in a tight vice. He forcibly turned them around. Y/N gagged out a hoarse yell in protest. The whites of their eyes were pushing and pulling against the darkness. Ardyn could sense through their agony that they didn’t want to fight him, but had no control over themselves. Not in this sorry state. 

Before Y/N had the chance to attack, Ardyn brashly pinned Y/N to the ground with his body. Either side of his arms caged their head. He leaned forward and Y/N cried out as his left hand cupped the side of their face. Ardyn let go of his hesitance, tilted his head, and softly pressed his lips to Y/N's. Closing his eyes, he forced his tongue inside their mouth and remained still, letting the scourge he had gathered slowly descend into Y/N's body. 

Little by little, Ardyn felt Y/N's trembling cease. He calmly breathed through his nose, and flinched when his throat captured one of Y/N's gasps. The scourge was definitely distracted. He could feel it begin to sync up with his own, losing its fear to the light that he was snuffing out. Gods be damned to all hells known if this wasn't going to work. This had to work. He would make it so.  

As the seconds ticked on, Ardyn moved his mouth ever so slightly. His tongue lifted and tugged against Y/N's, controlling the flow of the scourge. The sound of Y/N's heartbeat in his ears began to dissipate as his own increased. He felt a moan from Y/N reverberate through his mouth, and impulsively returned a groan of pleasure. Euphoria began to flood him, which confused Ardyn greatly. He shouldn't have been deriving any sort of satisfaction from this act yet his nerves melted. His knees grew weak as he felt Y/N's bottom lip feebly tug. If he didn't know better, they were trying to kiss him back. 

Ardyn tried to not allow such sentiment to interfere with his aid. This was nothing but a transaction to ensure both parties would survive, yet he could feel himself succumbing to the similar affections he craved at the springs. There was a part of Ardyn, a part he denied, that hoped the kiss would linger. He prayed even harder that Y/N wouldn't pick up on these feelings through their bond. 

Ardyn's face flushed with warmth while he slightly opened his eyes. He admired the little imperfections in Y/N's skin before the hand that was cradling their face gripped further. His thumb brushed upon their flesh delicately and he closed his eyes yet again and deepened the dark kiss. His movements were deliberately slow, giving Y/N plenty of time for their body to settle and even push him away should they be fairing well. Ardyn could feel Y/N's scourge merge with the hivemind that flickered in the back of his subconscious. It wouldn't be long before it would become dormant at his behest.

A muffled groan from Y/N’s end had Ardyn freeze. The noise wasn’t feeble and broken but strong, indicating to him that Y/N could breathe freely. He relinquished whatever desires that held him, and lifted his lips from Y/N’s. His eyes carded over their face, relief grasping him at seeing natural color return to Y/N’s flesh. Save for the small patches of scourge markings, they were by all accounts normal. He hoped in mind, that similar results would show. That Y/N was still there, in their head and in control. 

Ardyn removed himself from Y/N. He adjusted his legs, now sitting upon his knees as he bundled up Y/N close to his chest. While supporting Y/N with his left arm, Ardyn used his right hand to softly nudge their face. Fear tip toed around him as he pondered the what ifs. Y/N wasn’t dying no longer. The scourge all but confirmed that, but such assurance from spirits of darkness did little to calm the erratic ache of not knowing in full. 

“Y/N,” Ardyn whispered in plea. “Y/N, talk to me. Talk to me."

He stilled when Y/N opened their eyes. There was no trace of a familiar set of amber orbs looking upon him as if he had held up a mirror to himself. 

“Hi,” Y/N croaked. The word was faint and scratchy, but it was enough. Shortly after, Y/N closed their eyes and passed out. Their body and mind too worn to comprehend the world.  

Despite them passing out, words couldn't convey nor touch how relieved Ardyn felt in this moment. To be free of loss's burden was a blessing sweeter than all the sins he had committed upon others. Ardyn closed his eyes while settling down his nerves, and embraced Y/N tightly to him. Had he been a pious man, perhaps the gods would've deserve some praise for the occasion, but alas not. He saved Y/N himself. An immortal--Adagium--saved someone with his own curse. 

“What are you doing?” 

Like a mirror being crashed into, Ardyn’s body stiffened at the intrusion of Loqui's voice. He was rattled out of his peace, and the deep yellows behind his black eyes constricted while he growled under breath. 

“Chancellor, what are you doing with Y/N?” Loqui’s voice grew louder. He stepped forward, and his mouth fell open. Shock fell upon his face as he caught glimpse of the scourge markings that covered Y/N's legs. "Y/N's...no, Y/N's a daemon?" 

Ardyn kept his back to Loqui, shielding the majority of Y/N from him. His shoulders quaked as the relief he had felt seconds ago, began to burn off into a resentful anger. 

“This can’t be!” Loqui stepped back. He shook his head. “Did the attackers infect Y/N?!”

“No,” Ardyn lowly replied. 

“So then…” Loqui’s voice trailed off as he started to put it together. He could feel his face turning a pale. “Has Y/N been sick this whole time?” 

“You were supposed to be watching them!” Ardyn bellowed. He turned his face to the side; daemonic features long gone yet his animosity remained. "You stupid, reckless, boy!" 

The sudden scream had Loqui jump and lose his train of thought. He watched Ardyn rise to his feet with Y/N in tow. Despite being scared, Loqui felt weeks of pent up frustration toward the Chancellor come tumbling out. He stood his ground, and glared while firmly talking back to Ardyn. 

“Chancellor or not, you will not address me as such!” 

“I can damn well call you by the name of every filth on Eos if it would give me pleasure!” Ardyn spat. “Y/N and I argued for a day and night over you being their guardian while I attended the empires affairs in Altissa, and your negligence almost cost them everything!” 

“You can’t pin this all on me!” Loqui retaliated. “My commands from the battalion take precedence in the event of--!”

“Precedence? Don’t make me laugh!” Ardyn interrupted with a bitter scoff. “I know you all too well, boy. You walk in the shadow of your father and wished to be seen in the same light as he. That’s why aiding the House of the Courts benefited you versus keeping Y/N--and Tuti for that matter--safe from our enemies! It wouldn’t bode well on your resume, no, but saving Madam Secretary and all those Higher Imperials would’ve done numbers for your reputation! Admit it you little leech!”

“You don't know a damn thing about me, and you should talk! Like you've done any better regarding Y/N's welfare!" Loqui countered. “All this time Y/N has been sick with the starscourge, and you didn’t do or say anything about it? Does the emperor know?! Is Chief Besithia aware of that?!” 

“I am not privy to disclose or break Y/N’s confidence to the likes of you, regardless of how highly they’ve spoken of your character!” Ardyn yelled. “Y/N’s burdens are mine and Chief Besithia’s responsibility, not yours nor anyone else!” 

“So Y/N is a pet project then? Something for you and the Research Ministry to poke and prod at?!” Loqui felt his blood boil at the mere thought. “The laws are clear, Chancellor that we ease the suffering of those afflicted! The starscouge is a fate worse than death, the whole world knows that even our enemies! You're an inhuman monster for this! If you cared anything for Y/N, you'd-!" 

“Don’t you DARE tell me I don’t care about them!” 

The air stilled as both men froze, staring one another down. 

There was a time that Loqui believed while he could never beat the Chancellor in a game of wits, he could physically usurp him. The feelings of betrayal and anger tempted Loqui to prove his point. His mind was already made up, yet his body didn’t move to the commands of his conscious. Loqui was surprised. The fury behind Ardyn’s words were long gone, but the presence of an unfathomable rage lingered like a sickness that refused to part ways. 

Ardyn never once flinched. His firm posture--the way he held Y/N protectively to him--indicated to Loqui he had struck a nerve so deep, that the false bravado Ardyn displayed among the public could devolve into something dangerous. He had just earned himself a little taste of it. The very nerves under his flesh tinged at the realization. 

Loqui let out a snort, and lowered his head. Literally bowing out of a potential brawl. He made as fist as Ardyn began to walk with Y/N in tow and stopped. Loqui could feel the Chancellor’s eyes raining daggers upon him, and refused to look him in the eye. 

“There’s a thousand ways we can go about this, but I’ll keep it simple.” Ardyn coldly spoke. “Speak of Y/N’s condition to anyone, and I’ll ensure unfathomable suffering befalls you and your kin.”

Loqui flinched. “You’d really resort to that?”

“To protect Y/N, and the interests of empire itself, yes.” Ardyn firmly replied. He leaned in closer so he was nearly whispering in Loqui’s ear menacingly. “If I had half a mind, I'd encourage the Imperial army to demote you to such a low rank that worms would take precedence over your value. Alas, I will not be moving forward with such commands. I do this kindness for Y/N by sparing you, but make note: this will be the first and last time you ever question my sensibilities. Is that quite understood?" 

“Yes…”

“Yes what?” 

Loqui grit his teeth. “Yes Chancellor.” 

“That’s what I love to hear.” 

Loqui’s emotions were teetering on the edge at the way Ardyn mockingly said love. He didn’t know if Ardyn was mocking his feelings to Y/N, or if the Chancellor himself was admitting his own emotions in a subtle ploy. Mind games were not Loqui’s forte, nor did he ever want to become a person who enjoyed said things. It was best to let it go, despite having the urge to chuck his sword right through the man's chest while his guard was down. 

Enraged and at a loss, Loqui didn't hear Ardyn make his departure. Nor did he hear him state he would be seeking medical attention for Y/N. Loqui peered up and watched as Ardyn disappeared down the hall, leaving him with eviscerated corpses. The likes of which Loqui couldn't fathom. He grimaced as nausea curled its finger around his chin and tempted him onward. 

As he left the massacre behind him, Loqui couldn’t help but wonder if it was Y/N or the Chancellor who had committed these violent acts. Knowing Y/N was tainted by the scourge, it had to be them. But there was something about the Chancellor’s manner that him questioning everything down to his loyalties. He couldn't help but wonder how far the rabbit hole went, and wished more than anything, that he could lean on the wisdom of his father. 

[seradyn]

Royal Respite and Midnight Melody!

The two I’m most excited about 🤤🤤

I’m going to start with Midnight Melody cause I wAnT tOO

This is a short one shot I thought of when I reexamined some of Astarion’s lines post Cazador. When the player asks how he feels directly following the event, he explains he feels ‘numb’. From my own experience and what I’ve learned about surviving abuse, often people can struggle coping with a world where their abuser is out of the picture, because so much of their life was consumed by them, either physically or mentally. We see this not only in Astarion, but in Karlach too, who has similar feelings after Gortash’s death, because all the rage she built up around him has nowhere to go. It’s still there, but now it’s trapped inside without an outlet, instead of being healed when her abuser went away like they think it should have.

Astarion is the same way; without Cazador, where is he supposed to direct all his energy, his hatred, his rage over what happened to him? It’s still there, even though he’s dead, and it’s not fair. I wouldn’t be surprised if he struggled with his purpose after Cazador’s death. This happens with real survivors too; their whole world revolved around their abuser for so long, once they’re gone they just feel so empty and lost.

This fic is a take on that, where reader helps reassure Astarion that he doesn’t have to know what he wants right now, and they’re more than happy to help him figure it out. He tells them he doesn’t have a heart to guide him, but that’s not true. Is it not reader’s blood that flows through his veins? Does reader’s heart not beat for him? They remind him, hold his head gently to their chest so he can listen, can hear the heartbeat that is not only theirs, but one they give freely to him, too.

Basically more tooth rotting fluff and non sexual intimacy. Baby boy just needs to be held and I’ll be damned if I don’t smother him in affection. He deserves it.

Here is snippet:

~

“It’s nothing serious, of course…” he said quietly. Another lie, but you didn’t say anything, simply cradling his hand to your chest, a precious and fragile part of him. It gave him time to work up the courage to continue.

“It’s just that…When I was under Cazador,” he hissed the name, fangs poking out over his bottom lip, “every thought I had, everything I did was for him. He dominated us, mind, body and soul, and used that dominance to make our whole world about him.”

His eyes were wild with anger, that grimace back on his face, because it was so much worse to say it out loud, to acknowledge how much of his life belonged to his old master. You squeezed his hand to encourage him to keep going. This needed to come out, lest he push you away to protect you from the rot that did naught but burrow and consume down into his being.

“Even after the nautiloid, he inhabited so much of my thoughts,” he went on, his voice slightly rasped and shaking. “Though instead of fear or obedience, it was anger and determination to kill him. Even when he lost control of me, all I could think about was him. Even with his body rotting in the dirt, I cannot get him out of my head.”

“And now that he’s gone…I can’t help but wonder…what am I supposed to do?” His eyes filled with sorrow then, displeasure with himself. “With Cazador dead…I find myself losing all sense of direction.”

Your heart broke for him, jagged pieces of it left on the floor for you to step on. You cupped Astarion’s cheek, lifting his face to look at you. His eyes were wide, glistening in the dim candlelight as they filled with pain and worse: self loathing. You didn’t need the tadpole to hear that treacherous little voice in his head, one you knew like an old friend that whispered pathetic, worthless, weak. You knew he wanted to protect you, wanted to give you the life you deserved, yet he hadn’t the faintest idea how to do that, where to even start, and it pained him.

Gently, allowing him to pull back if he so desired, you led him into your arms, wrapping them around him so you could rub at the tension in his back. He nearly collapsed into your embrace in relief, immediately wrapping his own arms around you and crushing you to him. You massaged his shoulder blades while he pressed needy, frantic kisses into your hair, afraid you might pull away and leave should he stop.

“It’s okay not to know,” you said into his chest, kissing his sternum. “We can figure it out together. I’ll always be here with you, no matter what future you decide you want.”

He let out a tense breath, burying his face in your neck. “I know,” he mumbled. “I know whatever future awaits, I want you to be a part of it.” He leaned back, just enough that he could meet your eyes, so you could see into the dark abyss where his mind lingered. “The problem is, I don’t know what I want our future to look like. What I want it to look like.”

It was then you fully realized that what Astarion had been feeling since the confrontation with Cazador was lost. So, so lost, in a world without his master to contend with. The hopelessness you heard on his tongue was a knife piercing your tender heart, a sharp pain burning through your chest as it tried to beat around it, blood gushing from the wound and radiating out across your skin. What was freedom to one who didn’t know how to live with it, didn’t know how it felt? Though his chains had been broken, the memory of them still pulled him down and suffocated him. You wished so deeply to spare Astarion this pain, for he lived so long in the shadows of the world, you wanted to shower him in the light until he was blinded.

Abruptly, he shook his head, a growl ripping past his lips as he pulled himself away from you. It should be so easy, to move on and enjoy life now that he was allowed to. His desires could be fulfilled, instead of remaining the desperate wishes of a slave who longed for escape. The world was his for the taking, his life his own once more.

So why did he still feel so broken?

“Now that I’m free, I’m supposed to be able to do whatever I want. Follow my heart, as our companions said.” He spit the words; they tasted foul in his mouth.

“How am I supposed to know what I want without a heart to guide me?”

~

I’ll send you the full version once the first draft is done. Hope you like it 💕

Royal Respite has a similar vibe, and is also pure tooth rotting fluff/non sexual intimacy. It’s a one shot in which reader gives Ardyn a massage after he delivers the peace treaty proposal to the Lucian council. Just letting reader dote on him while he talks about his day, and letting him relax before everything goes to shit, basically. Ardyn has been working to make this plan come true for literally decades. I think he deserves some rest before it fully comes to fruition.

No snippet for this one yet, since I’ve been hyper focused on some of my Astarion fics *cough* see above *cough* but hopefully it doesn’t take too long to get on paper. You’ll be the first to know when there’s a rough draft 💕

[houdinicorbini]

Hiii ! I’m at my aunt’s house but I got enough Wi-fi to send my request 🎉. Could you please write a touch starved and really clingy reader with Ardyn and maybe Ravus or Gladiolus ? I don’t know if you write for the others but I love them sm jdkdbxk ANYWAYS love your writing it’s so pleasing to read ! You’re one of my fav writers on tumblr even tho I just discovered you!! Have a nice day !!

Oh thank you so much! And I’ll write for almost anyone in the game

But this will be my first time writing for Gladiolus specifically

I hope you don’t mind it being headcanons since I am going to do all three!

Trigger warnings: none

🗡️Ardyn 🗡️

✧ Ardyn wouldn’t never shame you for being touch starved, especially if he knows the reasons as to why.

Hell, he’s a bit touch starved too after everything he’s been through as well.

So you’ll both have your moments of needing extra attention, it’s just Ardyn has learned to hide it more and suppress it.

~~~~~~~

✧ If you’re having a day where it is particularly bad, Ardyn will do his best to try and comfort you through it.

Like telling you that everything is going to be alright, cuddling, just making sure that he’s near you until he sees that you’re alright.

I can see Ardyn reading as he has his arm wrapped around you while you’re also doing your own thing.

He’ll make sure you have moments like that with him. No matter the time of day.

~~~~~~~

✧ Now with the clinginess, he really understands, but he tries to slowly get you out of that habit.

He has to travel a lot and he doesn’t want you having a near breakdown when he isn’t there.

Ardyn won’t do anything big at first, just small things to slowly become less clingy.

It’s not that he finds it annoying, he just overly worried and wants to make sure you’re alright.

And Ardyn definitely has his moments where he can be clingy, but again, he hasn’t experienced love in so long so he can sometimes get a tad bit carried away.

But you two are definitely in it together!

~~~~~~~

✧ Even though he’s the villain, Ardyn used to be good guy, and he had a lover of his own. So I can see him being great at comforting when he needs to be.

And like I said before, he has his own issues so there’ll be times where you’ll have to help him out too.

You both can be a clingy mess on bad days.

But I guess it actually works out a bit.

~~~~~~~

✧ Overall, you both help each other through the problems you have, each having a reason as to why you have them.

And he’ll always be there for when you need him, just like you’ll be there for him too!

So you two really balance one another out.

~~~~~~~

🤍 Ravus 🤍

✧ Because of losing his parents at a young age and the empire taking over his kingdom, Ravus is also very touch starved and clingy to those he really cares about.

So the both of you can also be a very clingy mess.

And like Ardyn, he’d hide it. But that is also because he kind of has to do to the empire.

But he’ll do his best to help you. When he has the time of course.

~~~~~~~

✧ He can definitely relate to how you feel so he can get an idea on what to do and how to help, even if it’s just sitting in each other’s company on a couch.

Ravus wouldn’t mind something like that at all

In fact, he’ll even try to set aside time so you two can have moments like these.

But that’s only when you two have known each other for a while and you’re deep in a relationship.

He unfortunately has an image he has to uphold.

~~~~~~~

✧ There are days where the two of you can just spend hours doing nothing but sitting in silence, but you’re both content with it.

Sometimes it’s all about the presence and not the talking.

Ravus understands that a lot and relishes in moments like that.

Unfortunately they just don’t happen often enough.

But he tries to make time for them to happen.

~~~~~~~

✧ Like with Ardyn too, Ravus has days where it’s harder to mask so you’ll have to help him.

Which you never mind, you’ll definitely give him the same love and curtesy that he’s given you all those other times.

Even if he denies that he needs it.

He’ll soften up if he sees cuddling or any form of hugging is going to be involved.

Ravus definitely returns the favor for you as well. Almost immediately too.

~~~~~

🖤Gladiolus🖤

✧ Out of the three, Gladio is not as touch starved, but he does do his damndest to make sure you know you’re loved and all that.

He may not be all too good with words, but his actions are louder!

Much louder.

~~~~~~~

✧ If you have bad days where things are worse, Gladio will offer to go out and do something in each other’s company.

Even if it’s something like working out or going to his favorite ramen shop.

He is also someone who wouldn’t mind just sitting down with a good book while you either read or do whatever you want near him.

Actions are definitely easier for him to handle.

~~~~~~~

✧ You might’ve had to explain a little bit about how you are and why, but he understands.

I feel like he has a harder time with emotional things and tries to tackle the problem head on, which can be good, sometimes.

But he quickly learns that this is not something that can be dealt with so easily.

He means well, but he can be a himbo at times.

~~~~~~~

✧ There are times he has seemed a tad bit insensitive, but it has always been a misunderstanding and he means well.

Again, emotions are not his strong suit so you’ll have to be patient with him.

Gladio will definitely to his best to make you feel content and loved in the best ways he knows how.

Cuddles.

~~~~~~~

I know it took a while and it’s short for as long as it took, but I hope you enjoy!

Do give me feedback if you have any!

[olivia200312]

Ardyn Izunia Masterlist

So, I am a simp of Ardyn Izunia and I am following some accounts here on Tumblr to follow every update about Ardyn. I decided to make my very first masterlist with every one-shot and stories about Ardyn Izunia from Final Fantasy XV. This list will be updated regularly ;).

Enjoy!

--------------------------------------

Bound By Destiny (Ardyn Izunia x Reader)

Prologue (Short)

Chapter 1: Meeting Ardyn

Chapter 2: Staying

-----------------------------------------

Different (FFXV! Ardyn Izunia x WW! Reader)

Chapter 1: King Regis, Cor, and the Offer

Chapter 2: The Ball

[krisssssssy]

This is a reader-insert, you're a diplomat in Gralea and attending a Gala where everyone's favorite Chancellor bag-o-daemons shows up.

I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL

I'm writing the second part soon I promise

[ermora]

Ardyn x Reader Kingly Clash Au

Alright, so I decided to do a little kingly clash au Ardyn x Reader post so I hope you guys enjoy it and yeah… sorry for ooc Ardyn.

----------------------------------------------------------

You sat up in yours and your husband, Ardyn Lucis Caelum's, bed as you heard a baby crying beside you. You flinched as your body ached after what you had gone through a few hours ago and looked over to a bassinet beside your shared bed to see that one of your twins had woken up. You quietly grabbed the baby and brought it close to you, the baby stopped crying and looked at you, you couldn’t help but tiredly smile at the small bundle in your arms as you took in its features. It was a baby boy with features like his father and his hair color but the baby had your beautiful e/c eyes. On the flipside the baby boys twin sister had features like yours, your h/c hair and Ardyn’s eyes. They were born only a few hours ago and while you were enjoying a moment with your husband and your twins, your husband had to leave and while you knew how strong he was, you worried that it would be the last time you saw him. He had a job to do and you knew that it had to be done since darkness reigned in the world right now. You and Ardyn had spoken lots about the moment he was going to have to leave your side throughout your pregnancy as he had revealed to you so long ago as to who and what he was and how he was fated to fight the king of light. You never once expected it to be so close to after you had given birth to your twins though.

“It’s okay little ones, I’ll make sure to protect you… the both of you if your father ends up passing away” you quietly vowed to the twins as you snapped from your thoughts as the baby girl now began to cry from the bassinet. You put the baby boy onto your bed and picked up the baby girl from the bassinet, she too had almost instantly calmed down as you held her in your arms. You weren’t quite sure if this was because they might have some daemonic properties in them or not but you did know that you’d have to hide that part of them if the king of light won as the light would return to the world and would hurt your twins. As time slowly went on, you put your daughter beside your son on the bed and admired them just staring at you with bright, innocent eyes. You would do anything to protect them and could only wish that you could have the whole family together. You eventually heard footsteps coming closer to the room and you looked out the window to the outside briefly and could still see that it was dark out. You looked to your room door and after what felt like forever the knob on the door turned and you held your breath. As the door opened up you braced yourself for the king of light to come in and see who was here but to your relief, Ardyn came into the room. His clothes were fairly dirty though, his face was dirty and he looked exhausted, he smiled as he saw you.

“Hello my queen” he greeted in a tired but loving voice, you felt tears in your eyes as he approached you and the twins.

“Oh my gosh… Ardyn my love, are you alright?” you asked, Ardyn sat down on the bed beside you and put his right arm around your shoulders and pulled you close to him.

“Better than alright… I have killed the so called king of light and his retinue and now… now we can live in the darkness peacefully forever my love. I can treat you like the queen you are meant to be and we can be together like this as a family” Ardyn replied. You let out a sigh of relief as you heard those words fall from your husband’s mouth. You had thought that things were going to go sour but, you were thankfully wrong.

“I’m so glad to see that you’re still alive my king as I was afraid that our kids would grow up without knowing their father” you admitted as the tears finally slipped from your eyes and went down your cheeks. Ardyn unwrapped his arm from around you, held your face in his rough but gentle hands and gently kissed at the tears running down your face before gently kissing your lips.

“I did everything I could to ensure my victory today for the sake of our family and I knew that it wouldn’t fail, not when I have someone to live for now” Ardyn stated. You nodded and the twins began to make some noises, Ardyn released your face and you both looked down at the bed to see that the twins were looking at you both with wide eyes.

“You two are so precious” you mumbled as you picked up the baby boy while Ardyn picked up the baby girl.

“You’re just as precious my love as without you, they wouldn’t be here” Ardyn said.

“It takes two to tango as they are part you as well” you reminded, Ardyn chuckled.

“That is true… on a more serious note though, did you think of some possible names for our little ones while I was away?” Ardyn asked, you nodded and leaned against Ardyn as you began to feel quite tired again.

“Yes, I was thinking of the name Crystal for the baby girl and the name Raeric for the baby boy” you replied, Ardyn looked thoughtful.

“I do like those names, very well, the girl shall be Crystal Lucis Caelum and the boy shall be Raeric Lucis Caelum” Ardyn agreed.

“I thought you’d have a different opinion on the baby names ” you quietly admitted, Ardyn chuckled and you felt a light pulse of magic radiate from him that was quite calming.

“I’m not the best when it comes to names my love while you have a knack for giving out good names” Ardyn countered, you blush at that.

“Thank you my love” you thanked, Ardyn chuckles.

“No, thank you for staying by my side my love” Ardyn countered, you smile.

“I will always be by your side” you promise.

“I shall always be by your side as well, my precious queen” Ardyn promised back you smile and cuddle up closer to Ardyn. You two will now be together forever as king and queen of the night and raise your twins to be amazing people and the next generation of the Lucis Caelum bloodline in a new era of darkness.

[simple-simpin]

a rude awakening

Ardyn Izunia x GN! Reader

Summary: You are an assassin sent to kill one 'Somnus Lucis Caelum'. Now if only you could tell the difference between east and west.

CW: Attempted murder

Words: 2.2k

Every night sky in the now fallen Solheim was filled with thousands of memorable constellations. Many of them were dedicated to the Astrals, such as the Hand of Titan, or Bahamut's Blade- both of which were visible tonight. It was getting rather cold this late in the year, further accentuated by the faint white clouds that escaped your mouth. From your pocket you pulled out a crinkled envelope that had already been opened hours before. The letter inside was neatly folded but you swiftly straightened it out.

"Target, Somnus Lucis Caelum. Residence..." You whispered silently to yourself, needing to double check every piece of information before doing the job. Further down the page you reviewed the information on your target's location. At this time of night, he was expected to be fast asleep in his bedroom, located within the east wing of the castle. According to hearsay, he was a very heavy sleeper so the job shouldn't be too hard.

"Not too hard." You recalled the words of your employer. You were breaking into a fortified castle housing the land's most prominent nobility, how on Eos was this supposed to go smoothly? Just then you recalled the reasoning behind this job, why you absolutely had to succeed. The Caelum brothers would one day rule this land, there was no doubt about that, but the previous idea of them doing so together was no longer a possibility. If only their parents could see the rift between them now. From what you’d heard, it was hard to believe that the two were even related.

If Somnus was allowed to live, countless hardships would transpire under his leadership. The people needed Ardyn as their ruler, lest more innocents be slaughtered in his younger brother's wake. That is why you lay in wait amongst the flowerbeds of their elaborate garden. You tried to keep a level head. "Just finish this quickly..." You spoke in your mind. You were rather out of your element with this job, having travelled very far from your home village, and yet you felt more annoyed than stressed. You would prefer to be laying in your own bed right now.

When the two guards by the garden left for a perimeter check, that was when you made your move. You ran quickly, but quietly along the soft grass and began climbing the west wing of the castle. Your agility was actually one of the reasons why you became an assassin, well, that combined with poverty and grey morality. Climbing up the old stone bricks wasn't an issue; as the aged cracks and intricate designs presented many places for you to latch onto.

Soon, you found yourself up by one of the smaller windows. With one hand gripping the bricks, you unsheathed the dagger from your belt and thrust it between the window frame. When you forced the handle down, a small crack could be heard from the lock snapping apart. Just like that, you found yourself stepping into a grand, pale hallway. It was so majestic for such a bleak part of the home. At the end of said hallway stood what must have been the door to your target's bedroom. The nameplate said only Lord Caelum.

Off in the distance, you could hear either guards or servants speaking in calm voices. No one had yet been alerted of your presence. A simple twist lock was now the only thing standing between you and your target, the type of lock that any idiot could learn how to trick open with enough time. You spent a minute messing around between the handle and doorframe before it clicked open. There would be no turning back now.

Click. You closed the door quietly behind you. Taking a deep breath, you felt nerves clawing up your chest. 'Here comes the hard part...' You thought, lifting your forehead from the wood and turning to face the dark room. You never did enjoy the aspect of killing in your line of work, which is why you only accepted the vilest of targets. A fact that you had to constantly remind yourself of. Aside from your practically silent movements throughout the room, the only sound to be heard was soft breathing from your target. The moonlight from outside cast a faint spotlight upon his sleeping form, allowing you a better look once you approached.

He looked... so peaceful as he dreamt. Occasionally, his eyelashes would twitch, or he'd take a deeper breath than the last as he explored the product of today's memories. The corners of his lips tugged just barely into a natural smile, surrounded by well-kept stubble. Long, dark, maroon hair lay splayed out messily against the pillow and his arms were crossed loosely across his diaphragm. His blanket seemed to have gotten twisted in the night as it barely covered half of his body. For an unidentifiable reason, part of you almost wanted to fix it for him.

You shook your head irritably. That is not what you were getting paid to do, you had a job to carry out. Shakily, you gripped the handle of your dagger once again, this time raising it almost above your head. Just one good stab and it will all be over... You'd already ended a handful of monsters in your life, this was no different. With a short inhale and a rush of adrenaline, you brought your hands crashing down toward his chest, blade aimed directly at his heart.

It didn't pierce. All of a sudden, you felt a strong grip around your wrist and you were pulled down onto a soft surface. It took a moment for your brain to catch up, a little dizzy from being tossed around so quickly. When you finally opened your eyes, you were staring up into light brown one's that twinkled in the moonlight. He looked down at you with weary amusement, clearly tired from being woken up before dawn. His hands did not falter as they kept yours firmly against the mattress.

"I will grant you a moment to explain yourself, but do not take me for a fool." He spoke, voice rough from waking up. His hair hung forward in locks, just barely tickling your now burning skin. Your mind went into overdrive, torn between coming up with a good excuse and trying to not look down at his practically bare body. "I-...I was-" You couldn't muster anything as your brain blanked. His head cocked a little to the side as he waited. Just then, his thigh felt the most curious crinkling of paper in your pocket.

He released your hands to open up the envelope. "Wait!" You tried to sit up, only to be sent back down against the pillow. Being straddled was not a scenario you had expected for this job. ‘Not too hard...’ The words of your employer rung once again. Damn him. You glanced around for your weapon and saw it discarded on the floor. "Ah..." Your target piped up. "Perhaps I should ask you to explain this instead?" He held the note up after he'd finished reading.

You went into salvation mode. "Please I- My family is poor. A stranger cornered me and- He threatened to hurt them, I-" Your voice died in your throat. The man on top of you glanced over the note one last time before folding it up. "You expect me to believe you made it up here with no prior experience?" He asked in an almost condescending tone.

You dropped the faux fear that once distorted your features. "Very well." You voice was now cold, monotone, and rather vexed from having your work interrupted. Quickly, you bolted up and grabbed the back of his hair in your fist. As you pulled him aside, you wrapped your now free leg around his waist, effectively reversing your roles. "I accepted this job for the money- and to rid this world of an especially cruel man. Two birds, one stone." Your hands rested firmly against his chest. He didn't fight back, at least, not yet.

Instead, he chuckled. "In that case, I'm afraid you're out of luck... Your letter states that you are looking for Somnus, and yet, you've stumbled into the wrong bedroom." He smirked, hands still resting calmly at by his sides. If it were not Somnus whom you'd just attempted to murder, then this must be... Realization swept over you like the waves of Leviathan. You had just tried to assassinate House Caelum's eldest brother, Ardyn... The one who was blessed by the Gods, revered by the people. Killing him would bring down a wrath most unimaginable.

How could you have been so irresponsible? Had he not woken up, your actions could've guaranteed a evil tyranny take place. Cursed be your employer for not including a physical description.

"You’re-… It seems I'll have to take my business elsewhere, apologies for disturbing your rest." You were just about to leave when his hands moved to your waist, pulling you back into place. The touch caused your breath to hitch in an unexpected, albeit pleasant way. "Oh? Am I supposed to let you sneak out of here and take my dear brother's life?" He asked, almost offended that you would disrespect his duties as an older brother. Somnus may have torn many families apart and stolen hundreds of lives, but Ardyn could never wish the same to befall his own flesh and blood.

You smirked as a glimmer of his protective nature shone through. "Am I to understand you wish to fight for him? It would be a shame to destroy this lovely room in such an unsavoury way. " You said slyly. Whilst the furniture didn't look particularly expensive, just about every visible item looked like it could hold sentimental value. "I have no desire to harm you, of that you are already aware. No, I wish to make you an offer." He spoke. There were only two reasons why anyone would typically strike a deal with you. Either they were trying to undervalue your work, or they were bargaining for their life. You preferred to stay away from them and protect your reputation, but no one is perfect.

"An offer?" You asked with intrigue. There were plenty of things that a man of nobility could tempt you with... so long as it wasn't a flimsy IOU. Those never paid off very well. "I can pay you triple that of your employer, if you will spare my barbaric brother's life tonight." Ardyn spoke calmly from under you. Currency was a wonderful thing, but loopholes were far greater.

"That is very generous my lord, but do tell me, what is to stop me from accepting your offer and doing the job regardless?" You test him, your hands sliding playfully up to his collarbone.

He hummed thoughtfully, eyes trailing down to your mischievous hands. "Because you will stay here tonight, under my supervision... and in exchange I will sweeten the deal for you." His lips drew up in a most suggestive way. It was only then that you noticed how firmly his hands still held onto your waist, or how the room temperature had risen from your close proximity... how your fingers had been absentmindedly tracing patterns along his skin.

Had you been getting seduced this entire time, or had you been unwittingly seducing him? It seemed this man wasn’t as pure as his people claimed. "How sweet are you offering?" Your tone changed with interest.

You were only human. Of course, you had fantasized about such a thing happening on the job before, but never expected it to be a reality. There was something special about Ardyn though. Perhaps it was his face, his voice, or even his aura that made you feel like you could trust him completely. Or maybe it was just the fact that he didn’t chastise you for your line of work, at any time he could’ve run for the guards and had you locked away like beast.

Ardyn sat up slowly, removing a hand from your side to reach toward your face. His fingers lightly caressed your jaw before cupping your already warm cheek. "Only as sweet as you'll allow." His voice was soft as he spoke, luring you further into his welcoming embrace. There was no ill-intent to be found in his words, only the promise of passion between two weary souls. Once more did you glance toward the knife in the middle of the floor.

“I can feel your heart. It yearns to beat in pleasure instead of anguish, to experience the warmth of another, as opposed to the cold sight of their death.” He whispered almost lovingly. In a way it was like he was asking you to change your course, and for the first time it felt possible.

No wonder he had such an effect on people. You returned the gesture and dragged a hand along his stubble. "It seems your true gift lies in reading people… yet your kindness makes you naïve. Do you truly believe seductive words can alter the course of one's life...?" You made the first move to close the gap, lips pressing against each other in a explorative way, eager to learn each other’s patterns.

Your fist found his hair for the second time tonight, though this time in a much gentler way as you bunched it up in your hand. His touches were far more careful than yours, not being one to push people's boundaries. Ardyn pulled your torso closer to his, your chests almost flush together, before slightly leaning back from the chaste kiss. You were practically chasing him for more.

"Let us find out."

Randomly went from plot to horny rip

Kept it light for my first one but plan to get spicier in the future 🌶