#love thy chocobo

[irisopranta]

[toadeyes-miqote]

May thee liveth with the consequences of thy method.

"Does thou see no worth in mine life but only in mine death? The amount of chocobo shi-- that spillth from thy mouth. May thee liveth with the consequences of thy method! If you so much as quote him in hopes of winning favour with me. I will end you! You piece of Chocobo Shi---"

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

(The way this scene keeps triggering me may render me unable to write coherently for this part or clean it up to be readable for an indefinite period)

** I don't know what to say other than this line left her with self worth issues (update as of 6.5 - DRK quest can't fixed their relationship. Can't fix him but can change the way she deals with him ). To be treated like a pawn and nothing more than a weapon of light. To do all that is asked and be treated with such condescendence.

Trying to get her to accept and glorifying her potential death like a cult leader. I mislike how much he tend to choose someone's death as the way forward. It pretty much goes against her values and she question his morals.

"But A Smile Better Suits a Hero…" It actually pisses me off that he said that to her. That's the one that makes me wonder. "Do you see the hero or the person?" Coming from the one who originally said it, it sounds more like a last request. Coming from Urianger, it smacks of chocobo shit.

This would be the straw that broke the chocobo's or Amaro's back. If there ever was a time that would make her become a Light Warden, this be it. Burn everything in the Light and take the fight to the Source. WoL Lightwarden vs Scions fight where? Dang it Elidibus.

A good chunk the anger in Dark Knight issues that she has, mostly comes from this.

------

Granted my thees and thous aren't quite there but "Does thou understandth the words that cometh from mine mouth" every time Urianger opens his. Can't help but wonder if he does it confuse people on purpose. Talking over the head of a rural Mqio'te like that. On that note does his words get more flowery when he's more likely to lie, confound, confuse?

Somehow I wonder if the Aetheric Siphon he created was meant to be used against her just in case she turns on him or something.

-----

Endwalker later.

The amount of duplicity and the willingness to use others as pawns in the name of the greater good. Damm storyline would have been different. Actions and consequences dude.

What gave him the right to decide for Minifilia even if she would have agree in the first place? No room for alternatives. And no time for acceptance. Did she accept her fate before or after being trapped and becoming more spirit and less person? (need to find this part with The Aitiascope ) Going with my cynical headcannon reason where he's hanging with Thancred is that Thancred is the one watching him in case he easily falls into the same shit drama again. Thancred is very aware that there's the off chance Hylnyan might end up killing or maiming Urianger if such a thing repeats and his victim is her loved ones.

The other reason being that the only way he can get any info to my WoL is through Thancred, because Urianger had already lost my WoL's trust and she's no longer on speaking terms with him outside of work related fights.

Keeping in mind she comes from a hunting community, where one is likely to be working other hunters if one is hunting big or dangerous game. Therefore trust is important to her.

Or it any wonder that except for Thancred, the other NPCs don't really care if he drowned? Thancred being the only other adult male on hand to pull Urianger's ass out of the water.

There is nothing he can _say_ to fix their relationship. His words are lies and he's known to preach. Walk your talk, we'll see how he make amends Post EW. There is no free pass just because G'raha tricked him. is he truly that gullible?

And no I'm not going to write a making up fic without MSQ's direction. Not keen to go through that only to be disappointed by the next stunt he pulls.

Bonus

Estinien had some issue about Alphinaud throwing WoL at dragons, gods and monsters as the answer to everything. How much Estinien know of what went down in the First, when my WoL kinda gives a abridged version herself eating the Light without stating much of her feelings since the entire trip tires her out. He probably notice the group dynamics in terms of who she's close to and that's about it. Anything else is his discretion since game won't allow you to dump Urianger after Shadowbringers

On the subject of making amends. Catboy G'raha has been backing up with actions instead of mere words. My Miqo'te keep him at arm's length(pun intended) on account of G'raha being a male Miqo'te and their working relationship and his enthusiasm confuse her at times.

You do know how we get Zodiark, cause that's how we get Zodiark in the name of the greater good.

So if Emma Frost wants to go down this line. Someone has darker thought than I did.

somehow boils down to the thought line of Urianger being in a position to groom certain folks into thinking that sacrificing one's life is the answer to world ending threats.

[yukiotacon]

How would Estinien, Aymeric, Haurchefant, Urianger, and Thancred react upon seeing the WoL with a their respected minion?

Minion hcs

Aymeric

Feels rather flattered that you own one

To be honest, he felt rather embarrassed when he heard about this wind up leaders projects his knights opened

Gets rather jealous of the minion because it gets to follow you to your adventures

Aymeric also envies how much you dote on your minion

He sometimes has day dreams of being smothered by your love

( Top secret) He is on the waiting list for the wind of minion version of Wol aka you that Tataru is making as we speak

He is give or take one of the few selected individuals who would one of the first 100 made

Estinien

A very very territorial dragoon

You can bet your ass he is gonna be jealous of the minion

He gets even more jealous after he finds out there our two of them

You could be cuddling with your minion till Estinien walks in

Estinien looks at the minion and scowls

He grabs the minion and plops it on the table

He then proceeds to bury himself into your chest initiating an angry cuddle

" Why do you need a minion when you have the real thing?" He mumbles as he tightens his grip

Congrats now you have 3 grumpy dragoons in your possession

2 small and one jumbo

Haurchefant

Haurchefant is absolutely giddy when he saw his mini me following you around

" Aw he is like a cute black chocobo chick " he says to you

Of course you felt embarrassed, but he had a secret to show you

Haurchefant pulls out a wind of minion of you in your beginner gear

" It was a gift from lady Tataru " He says shyly

Apparently this was the prototype mark 1 version one

Haurchefant gets all happy and excited by the fact you both match

Urianger

Feels completely embarrassed ( cue Card fan to hide his red cheeks)

He never thought he would see a mammet in his likeness

Sure he made one for Mywnbrda ,but him he cannot imagine it

" Thy mammet shareth my yonder visage I see my love" he says while red dusted his cheeks

He gets even more flustered by the fact it does his signature gesture

The embarrassment was too much so he hides himself by cuddling you from behind and hiding his face

Thancred

Prepare for the most intense teasing of your entire life

The fact you own 2 minions of him is basically fuel to the fire

You try your best to hide them from hide

Sadly you were sloppy that day

" What do you have there my love" Thancred whispers to you from behind

Thancred may have grown a lot,but his snarky boi vibes are just waiting to be released

When he leaves for duty, he tells the minions to watch over you

" Watch over our lady love for me will you gentleman " Thancred says are he smirks at your red face

[lannasroleplaymemes]

FFXIV Quote Sentence Starters

From here. Tweak If Necessary!

"The seas part for we alone!" "I shall free you from your hate!" "Wild and pure and forever free!" "SLOPPY!" "A smile suits better a hero..." "He that holdeth fast unto his convictions shall never count betrayal amongst his crimes, though all the world may call him villain." "This I believe with all my heart." "She did things with her tongue you wouldn't believe. I'll introduce you if you like." "SICKNESS MUST BE PURGED." "Hello my fellow antediluvians!" ""We did everything right! Everything that was asked of us, and still... still things came to this!" "We brought our world to the brink of destruction, and now we must save it." "Listen to my voice. Listen to our heartbeat. Listen..." "I'm your rolanberry." "Perhaps you do not hail from this lands, but your forefathers did. You do them honor to carry on their legacy this day." "Your music is bad and you should feel bad!" "But enough exposition! Now we fight like men! And ladies! And ladies who dress like men!" "I said I'd come for you, and I did! I'm here...I'm here...I'm here... Say something, please." "There I stood, a god among men." "Here I am, a man amongst gods." "In your darkest hour, in the blackest night... think of me, and I will be with you. Always. For where else could I go? Who else could I love but you?" "But if I must destroy my dearest friend to defeat my direst foe, I will not FLINCH in my duties!" "I doubt I will ever be able to thank you enough. But I damn well mean to try." "Woe betide the man who stands opposed to the weapon of light, for death will be his reward." "Woe betide the man who stands with the weapon of light, for death will be his reward." "Still the hatred within our hearts and and bless us with eternal grace!" "Do not seek forgiveness, for it will not ease the burden. It weighs as it should." "Which one of you sprung the obvious trap?" "Go and pick up the damn rocks." "Hmph. Trickery is thy shield. This frail, ignoble creature is not gifted...But chosen." "Quiet, the adults are thinking." "People like us will never know peace." "Every moment brings us closer to death - those of our enemies, our loved ones, and yes...our very own." "The fear of death is what keeps most men alive." "May the gods have mercy on your soul." "I'll rip off your pom-poms and shove them down your godsdamned throats." "Spare us the hyperbole. 'Tis not for praise that we fight." "You would mock her? THEN MOCK HER FROM HELL!" "I love her. From the moment I laid eyes on her, she had holmganged my heart. "I've sins aplenty, aye, but regrets? Not so much." You might try to look a little disappointed! Or do you mean to give me another one of your stoic nods? You do, don't you?" "Hmm.. Even as 'bit players' they show such passion, such fervor! Oh, what I wouldn't give to be a bit player too-- or better yet, play with their--" "Thy final verse is sung!" "Much blood has been spilled in my name, and for what? For a false cause that I created for want of the warmth of companionship." "Seeds know no borders; they will sprout wheresoever the earth embraces them." "May they provide for your children and theirs after them for a thousand years to come." "Though we've come a long way, we still have far to go." "I have fought tooth and nail for the people I hold dear—done everything in my power to save them... and I have failed. Learn to live with it. I have." "You gifted my people a thousand years of suffering. Now I gift you an eternity in darkness!" "How right I was to spare your life." "What the Kupo do you think you're doing?!" "Chocobos are prohibited in the Supreme Sacred Tribunal of Halonic Inquisitory Doctrine!" "Your steed must remain outside!" "It's hotter than Ifrit's arse after eating a peck of dragon peppers." "Know that I'll kill your god if I have to. Maybe even if I don't."

[efrmellifer]

Soaring

Fifteen: Thunderous

(this takes place in the Nidhogg lives/the Dragonsong War went differently AU, and features Dae)

Despite her youth, Betula had always enjoyed the freedom her parents had afforded her, provided she was in the view (care, if needed) of someone they trusted. So her other caretakers ran a wide range—family by name (the Fortemps family may as well have been blood to Etien, though), family by marriage, family by the love and trust built over the years.

Which was to say, Betula always liked visiting Aunt Dae and the dragons the best of all. It was a journey outside the constant snowy cold of Ishgard, where she could fish and see even more chocobos (wild ones!) and then make her way to Anyx Trine and beyond.

And she had become quite the dragon-rider, too.

She came by it naturally. Etien had ridden Midgardsormr through Azys Lla (and on a few other occasions), and when she had befriended Ehll Tou enough, had been bestowed the honor of flying on her back. So Betula did much the same on other dragons.

Vidofnir was a smooth ride, both in the transitions between land and sky and in flight, and Betula always had a good time exploring the Dravanian Forelands with her, looking from above at the treetops, the wildlife, and the Tailfeather hunters, all so adorably miniaturized from where she sat.

As she had gotten older, the dragons allowed her to be a little more adventurous, flying higher, traveling further, and heading up into the Churning Mists to explore there, too. She’d ridden a few more dragons (Vedrfolnir had been fun, if for no other reason than he had joked about being “the chosen mount of the Borel bloodline, at this rate”), but there was never going to be any flight that beat those she took with Dae, astride her affectionately termed “draguncle” Nidhogg.

He had snorted the first few times Betula had asked to ride on him when she was no longer an over-excited little toddler or young kit who fell asleep halfway through the flight, but when it was clear that she was serious and that she could handle herself, he finally relented.

Still, every time, he asked, “understandeth thou that I give thee this chance because my beloved Dae so greatly favors thee?”

“I do,” she replied.

“And art thou prepared to use all thy wits and strength on this expedition?”

“I am!”

With a heavy sigh, Nidhogg turned, his flank to her. “Take thy seat astride, child of man. Beloved? Wouldst thou like to join me and thy niece?”

She clambered up onto Nidhogg’s back with ease, helping Betula up to settle behind her.

He flew from the Aery with the typical ear-splitting cry, both his passengers covering their ears before clinging to his scales again.

He chuckled as he set off for his secret destination, circling once before heading for Ishgard.

Dae laughed, too, patting Nidhogg. Betula just held on, watching in awe as he flew over the Firmament.

Now she oohed and ahhed, all the little crafters and gatherers in the Mendicant’s Court, and the merchants and engineers peppered throughout, even now, years after the restoration work was completed.

She had fond memories of her parents taking her along the pathways, but she had never seen them from this angle, until now. It was so pretty, and both larger and smaller than it seemed when she had been standing on the stones.

She just prayed no one looked up as the shadow of a great wyrm passed over them.

But the journey over the Firmament was done with quickly, Nidhogg turning and coasting over the city proper, then the highlands outside it.

Now she watched the karakul, the crocodiles, everything shuffling across the snow. She had always loved the wind on her face and the adventure of soaring on dragonback, but Nidhogg was giving her quite a new view of the world she knew like this.

She huddled a little closer to Dae for warmth, and kept cooing in awe at the sights below.

The sound of Nidhogg landing in the Aery again was thunderous, but Betula was too excited to worry about the sound, sliding off his back and bounding to his front to thank him.

She beamed, her tail quivering with the leftover excitement.

“Oh, thank you, Nidhogg!” she cried. She could have hugged him, but refrained. She knew how he felt about that sort of thing. So she left it to Dae, who was coming up now and kissing his snout.

“Thank you very much,” Dae murmured, with a yelp that turned into a laugh as she got scooped up on his horns.

“I’ll be back later,” Betula excused herself, wondering if she could borrow a fishing rod and a basket from the Moogles. She would bring her draguncle a middling-sized fish dinner in thanks (and rustle up a bouquet for Aunt Dae while she was at it).

[bisexualbuck]

911 & Buddie Fic Rec

I’ve been reading a lot of fics lately as I pretend that nothing is happening in the world, and so I’ve put up a list of a few that have stuck with me.

Don’t forget to leave them a comment! They’re all amazing and they deserve it.

Let’s spread some positivity around here!

In no particular order

Knocking On Heaven’s Door by MomentsOfWeakness

Summary: Buck isn’t sure where he is. The last thing he remembers was being out on a call. Now he’s here, in a place he has never seen before surrounded by people he doesn't know. It's bright. That's all he can really tell.

Based on a Tumblr prompt where someone asked for Buck and Chris both ending up in purgatory at the same time before they ever met in life. Buck has a ticket back to the living world but he gives it to Chris who is supposed to die. An old man, seeing what Buck did for Chris, decides to give his own ticket for the living world to Buck, because the world needs more people like him.

Personal opinion: This is just so good. It’s so well-written it almost reads like poetry.

Eddie Diaz and the Cat-astrophe at the 118 by SquaresAreNotCircles

Summary: It’s Chimney who rescues her from the tree, but it’s Bobby’s arms that she curls up in on the drive over to the vet to get her checked out. Right from the start, it’s as if she knows who she needs to cozy up with to secure her spot at the station.

“Come on, that’s crazy,” Buck says, but he does so while laughing not at Eddie, but at the grey tabby cat trying to get her claws on the fake mouse on a string that Buck bought with his own money, so Eddie doesn’t put too much stock in his opinion.

Or: The firefam adopts a mascot and Eddie has a minor crisis about it.

Personal opinion: This is just too sweet and too funny!!

Whatever you say, Buck by nanasteiger

Summary: Tumblr prompt: I'd love to see a fic where they start dating but decide to keep it private for a bit, except literally everybody knows because they're not secretive at all and everybody catches them here and there kissing or being affectionate with each other.

 The first one to talk about it was, and it wasn’t really a surprise, Captain Nash. “So,” he said, approaching him in the locker room, “what’s going on between you and Diaz?”

Personal opinion: The softness... unparalleled.

Love Language by red_to_black

Summary: The one in which there's too much pollen around, Eddie pines, and Buck is oblivious.

Or - Eddie's love language is acts of service, and Buck doesn't totally get it.

Personal opinion: I have melted... too good!!

a leaf falls on loneliness by iimpossible_things

Summary: Buck doesn’t think that if he were to say, “I’m in a bad place”, that anyone would turn him away. Really, he doesn’t. The 118 has too many good, kind people for that.

But every time he wants to open his mouth, to say something, to reach out to Eddie or Bobby or Hen or Chim, he hears Eddie yelling, “you’re exhausting.”

—you’re exhausting, you’re exhausting, you’re exhausting—

So each day he does his job and he laughs and he jokes and he pretends he’s the care-free goofball he’s always been. And each day he packs away his bruises and his worries, takes them home to his empty loft with its quiet rooms, and licks his wounds in silence.

Personal opinion: Y’all. Just - do yourself a favor and read this. A masterpiece!! Just *chefs kiss*

dying lol by itsmylifekay

Summary: Based on the meme: i'm dying lol

Buck is...Buck. And that means chaos, angst, laughs, and pining over Eddie. Bobby just wants his son to stop ending up in the hospital. Enjoy.

Personal opinion: I have no words to say how much I love this

i want your heart (i hope you do too) by chocobos

Summary: Buck can’t stop thinking about those words, about the way Eddie had said them, eyes open wide and earnest, hand searing a hole into his shoulder, never once breaking contact with him in any regard.

Personal opinion: One of my favorite fics in this fandom

Roll Down This Unfamiliar Road by altschmerzes

Summary: The big 'welcome to the family, sorry I tried to shut you out of it' dinner at Eddie's winds down, and Chimney decides it's time for him - and Albert - to go home. But, as he stands there and looks at his kid brother, half dozing off sitting at Eddie's dining room table, Chimney finds himself frozen, plagued by sudden doubt. What if he's not cut out for this?

It's Buck, of all people, who's there with an answer.

Personal opinion: This is a Chimney-centric fic and it’s an absolutely gorgeous piece.

a diary highlighting dysfunction (adhd) by @evaneddie

Summary: adhd!buck - headcanons into loosely linked one shots

Personal opinion: I’ve just reread just now and wow... still amazing... chefs kiss

I still don’t know my heart by attolians @getbvcked

Summary: I am SEVERELY late for Evan Buckley Week so I rolled these prompts into one fic! • March 23rd - Day 1: “That’s my family.” + fluff • March 24th - Day 2: “Why are you naked?” + fun • March 25th - Day 3: “Please don’t close your eyes!” + hurt • March 26th - Day 4: “You want to marry me?” + love • March 27th - Day 5: “You’re a good liar.” + comfort • March 28th - Day 6: “I won’t let you do this.” + angst

Personal opinion: As I said before, we’re here living in 2020 while Amber’s living in 3020... The genius *chefs kiss*

(hurt) thy neighbor by autumnchills

Summary: “He’s armed,” is all he says into the phone before standing from his spot. He shoves his phone into his pocket and steps out, hands raised. Sure enough, the man has a gun pointed at him, but if he looks closely enough… Buck squints. Color him surprised. “Is that you—” “Don’t!” The man yells, jerking his hand with the gun aggressively. “Don’t you dare fucking say my name, Buckley.”

— In which things get bad fast when Buck's neighbor breaks into his apartment thinking that he isn't home.

Personal opinion: You need to read all of autumnchills’ work actually because guess what... chefs kiss!!!

(There’s) No Time Like The Present by NobodyKnows_U

Summary: "Marry me."

The words flew out of his mouth before he could fully comprehend what he was doing. It came out as a shaken whisper, but everything around seemed to go hopelessly silent. He's pretty sure he heard a few choked gasps but all he could focus on was Buck.

Or, Buck nearly dies saving a baby during a call and Eddie ends up asking Buck to marry him.

Personal opinion: I cried, this is just gorgeous.

5-4-3-2-1 by elisela

Summary: For all the times that Eddie has practiced getting into his turnout suit in record time, he never bothered figuring out how to get out of it just as fast. He would be regretting that if he could think about anything other than the fact that Buck went over the pier rail twenty-six seconds ago, and disappeared into the dark water seventeen seconds ago.

Personal opinion: The intensity... The talent... I’m speechless.

what a man gotta do? (to be your last good night and your first good day) by diazevan

Summary: He is gonna woo Eddie. He is gonna woo him so fucking hard that the other man has no other choice but to be his boyfriend and declare his eternal love for him. Buck is gonna be that good.

or

Buck is the best boyfriend and he doesn't even know it.

Personal opinion: Soft!! Cute!! I’m !!!!!!

Won’t Be Lost Forever by @lionheartedghost

Summary: “Bobby said you wouldn’t talk to him last time he came in.” The chair by the side of the bed scraped back against the linoleum. “You want to tell me what’s going on?” Buck opened his eyes. Eddie looked patiently back at him, passing a hospital canteen cup of coffee back and forth between his hands. “I won’t let you do this,” Eddie said when he didn’t answer, setting the paper cup on the little table beside him. “I won’t let you shut us out.”

Eddie helps Buck with his recovery following the ladder truck incident.Written for Evan Buckley Week, Day 6: "“I won’t let you do this.” + angst

Personal opinion: I’m overwhelmed by so much perfection what the hell

I also want to give a shout-out to @eddiedeaz because her fics for the Evan Buckley Week were, you guessed it, *chefs kiss*

[ffxiv-ariavitali]

XI: Stay

[MAJOR 5.3 SPOILERS] BELOW THE CUT. LIKE, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CUT. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

On the topic of love: Aria Vitali and G’raha Tia | Crystal Exarch

1896 words

AO3 ver.

“I concede, I may have overexerted myself.”

Aria peered down with wide eyes as the Exarch’s body was threateningly close to becoming encased in crystal, a desperation thrumming within her chest alongside panic and pain. 

“Steady now and listen.”

The buzzing only grew louder within her mind, for how could she stay steady and how could she just listen when he was about to be taken away from her? Were it not for the reassuring smile that he had given him, the self-same smile that she had seen as he was about to enter into slumber within the Crystal Tower, she would have thrown a fit—a frantic fit amidst fear and hurt.

“We have won, my friend.”

And yet, I am to lose you a second time, is what the woman wanted to scream, to shout, for it certainly seemed to be the case. They say that victory cannot be won without sacrifices and, throughout the years, there are three that remained so hard-hitting within her heart; he was one of them.

“So I hope you’ll forgive me this moment of selfishness. And...while I wouldn’t want you to feel obliged…”

When Aria and the Exarch looked towards each other, a mutual and silent understanding of the emotions going through one another, it was at this that they reached out for each other’s hand. Aria didn’t know whether it was artificial comfort for him, being covered in crystal and all, but it did well to soothe the ache within her own heart. For she didn’t think she could go on with the way he looked at her and she knew she was doing the same to him.

“Promise me you’ll take me on your next adventure. A journey. Together. That’s all I ask.”

With these words, the woman couldn’t prevent the stream of tears flowing from her amethyst eyes. She wanted to be strong for him in this moment of weakness and vulnerability, but she couldn’t hold back this time. Not this time.

“You could have asked me earlier…!” she exclaimed through the tears with a smile. 

Her words certainly caught the man off guard, for he released a helpless chuckle in response, a memory of his youth emerging from when she said the exact same thing to him after he whined about her not taking him with her to Mor Dhona.

“If I were to tell you that isn’t the end—that we will meet again—would you believe me?”

As Aria allowed the gears to turn in her head, she finally understood the meaning behind his words, behind his nonchalance. It was so like him, she thought, to leave her so worried and hanging for so long. It was so like him...that she couldn’t help but nod helplessly in response as she reached out and presented him with the vessel he had fashioned for himself. The same vessel he was going to use as a test before he allowed the others to try it for themselves.

With a ‘thank you’ did he place his crystalline hand on top of hers, atop the vessel, with a broken voice and there was a spark that was shared between the two like-minded individuals, the two connected individuals bound together by the red string of fate.

When that was finished, the Hyuran woman watched the Miqo’te pull up his hood and struggle to his feet. All the while saying:

“My friend. With you, my mind and memories shall travel to the ends of the world and beyond. But in this place shall my body stand immovable.”

She watched as he stepped closer towards the throne before straightening his back to stand tall. She could only listen as he continued his words to her:

“May it serve as an undying promise, not only to those who looked to me for leadership, but to any soul who has known despair, that hope is everlasting.”

It was in these words that Aria slowly followed, raising up the vessel to his once more, and as it began to glow in attunement as he began the test, she felt warmth beginning to emanate from the vessel itself. The warmth of his soul growing slowly as he went on with the process, undoubtedly leaving behind a cold statue in his wake in light of his merge with the Tower—his price to pay.

Yet, he smiled.

He smiled as he, in the end, became nothing more than a crystallized husk of the Crystal Exarch, standing proud and tall before Xande’s seat of honor. He smiled as Aria did the same, for saying goodbye with a smile was what she had learned to do after all these years.

When he had become completely engulfed and she had heard the Scions’ footsteps approaching from behind, Aria allowed herself to feel the grief that she had held back as she brought the glowing vessel filled with his soul closer to her person. She allowed herself to embrace it as if her life depended on it as she fell to her knees to weep. Even when she knew her comrades were watching, she released the pitiful screams and wails that reverberated from her entire body as her figure shook. As the tears fell. As her heart was torn and mended and torn yet again.

Though, only half of her was wallowing in her grief.

Indeed, for the other was cheering from every corner of heart, mind and spirit.

Your dream came true, Raha…! It would cry out in such utter pride and joy. You were the hero that you have always dreamt of being!

With this part, she hoped and prayed that the theories held true. She trusted her bestest friend, her closest friend, with the words that he had given her. She will trust his hope…

...for he is her hope.

❅ ❅ ❅

Upon the final hour of departure, Aria watched as her comrades underwent the same process that he had before his last breath. 

She waited and prayed to the Twelve that the theories would hold true. 

She prayed as she collected the vessels together and put them away in her bag. 

She prayed and she prayed as she took a deep breath…

...and crossed the portal to the Source.

❅ ❅ ❅

Aria was quick to rush Krile and Tataru into Dawn’s Respite. She was quick to lay out the vessels accordingly, corresponding to each one of her friends. It wasn’t at all too long until the soul and body began reaching out to one another, began attuning to one another, and returned that which belonged.

Alisaie was the first, followed by Thancred. Then, it was Y’shtola, Urianger and Alphinaud, each awakening and sitting up bit by bit. Aria was grateful, relieved and all manner of other emotions that she couldn’t put into exact words for there were no words that could describe just how thankful and blessed she was that the process was successful.

Then, Y’shtola bade her:

“...I doubt any of us will be fit to travel for some while. May we leave the rest to you?”

Aria stared at the woman, the woman that had first found her back when she had begun her adventuring days in Limsa Lominsa, and understood immediately what she had meant. Her eyes widened, baffled that the topic would even be brought up when they had only recently returned. It is only with Urianger’s reassurances that she allowed herself to do what she wanted immediately:

“The vessel beareth our comrade’s blood. With it in thy possession, the way will surely open before thee.”

So, the woman ran. Exhausted as she was, she ran all the way from Mor Dhona, forgetting that she had her chocobo and mounts alike, and just ran. Ran to the ferry that went between the edge of the lake to Syrcus Trench, ran from the landing towards the doors of the Crystal Tower.

As she ran, she heard the familiar ringing of rock landing on rock and when she peered over her shoulder to see what it was, she found the crystal—the constellation stone belonging to the seat of Azem, the Fourteenth member of the Convocation.

Aria remembered Hythlodeus’ words as she stepped towards the crystal to retrieve it, holding it close. She remembered him. She remembered Hades. She will continue to live to keep the promise, in memory of those that were lost and left behind.

With this in mind, she turned once more to the doors, presented the vessel and waited patiently as the ward diminished, unlocking the gates. The doors opened easily and she could feel the vessel pulsating warmth from her hand. Surely, his soul was crying out to his body, the body of this world’s version of himself. He was as eager as she was, that’s for certain.

Eager to greet him with a ‘good morning.’

❅ ❅ ❅

Some days later, the Scions were speaking amongst themselves on the balcony of Rowena’s House of Splendors. They noticed Aria and Krile’s return when the Lalafellin woman had released cries of exhaustion and made a beeline for the closest seat at the twins’ table. They saw the way Aria eyed her with immense gratitude and respect before turning to the others to greet them.

“By Mistress Krile’s exhausted state, may I assume that the ward hath been restored?” Urianger then asked.

Aria could only smile at him as she turned towards the catwalk leading to the open balcony, towards an approaching figure so shy and humble. She smiled at the man as he explained the success in restoring the ward to the Crystal Tower, once again locking it away so that its infinite energies can’t be misused for evil deeds. She watched and she smiled with immense pride, such immense pride.

“Said duty thus discharged, thou art free to go wheresoever thy fancy taketh thee,” Urianger then exclaimed with relief. “Upon which note—hast thou perchance come to a decision? The offer remaineth open.”

Aria turned to eagerly await the man’s answer, her eyes sparkling even against the glints of sunlight reflecting from the amethyst hue, and when he stammered over his words—completely and utterly unsure of himself for this briefest of moments—Aria’s smile widened as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Raha, really,” she interjected.

The Scions saw how her words affected the man, his ears perking up and his tail swaying restlessly behind him. Thus did he straighten his back, gathering his courage, and painted a smile over his own face.

“I accept,” G’raha Tia responded to Urianger’s inquiry earnestly. “Henceforth, I shall count myself a Scion of the Seventh Dawn. G’raha Tia, at your service.”

After his introduction, after he had descended the few steps to join them, the Scions watched as Aria could no longer help herself as she jumped towards him, wrapping her arms tight around his figure. Her cheeks were flushed a bright shade of red, matching his eyes, as the Miqo’te flustered, unsure of how to respond.

“I...am so glad,” Aria whispered quietly so only he could hear. “I am glad that you are here to stay.”

G’raha blinked in surprise before he smiled and returned her embrace. Indeed, he was here to stay—the place being right by the side of his inspiration. For wherever she chooses to go, fate is sure to follow. Hope is sure to follow.

His love is sure to follow.

[ragewerthers]

Saaaay Cheesy!

Summary:  Gladio tries to seduce Prompto just like he's learned from his romance novels... it doesn't quite go as planned.

Words: 2094

A/N:  Just a fun little one shot of our lovely Promptio couple! <3

You can also find this on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17665835

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

There were many things Prompto could handle. Grueling exercises with Cor?

No problem.

Waiting for the precise moment to snap a pic?

He had this!

But there was absolutely, without a doubt one thing that the blonde gunslinger could not handle and that… was the attempted seductive words coming out of his boyfriend’s mouth.

“Prompto…. Prompto please, I’m beggin’ ya,” Gladio pleaded from his position underneath the smaller man, the gunner shaking with mirth where he laid on top of him.

What had started out as a fun little makeout session with his boyfriend on the sofa of Prompto’s small apartment had quickly transformed into a battle to save his dignity.

The reason?  Gladio had decided to try and turn up the charm and use a few smooth lines to seduce his partner.  Apparently Prompto was immune to it and all it had done was make the other collapse into a ball of giggling, wheezing laughter.

“S-Sorry, Gladio!” he wheezed, covering his mouth with his hand as he fought back the giggles trying to bubble up in his chest.  “It’s just… who says those things?!”

“I say those things!” Gladio shot back, though he was definitely heading for a pout now.

“You taste so good, baby..,” Prompto teased, pitching his voice deeper to match Gladio’s timbre and making the Shield bring his hands up to cover his face.  “Your gun isn’t the only hard steel around here.  Wanna pull my trigger?”

As soon as he said it Gladio groaned and shook his head, Prompto soon falling into another laughing fit as he hid against the mans chest.

“Oh my gods… those were so bad!” he hiccupped after a few more minutes, making Gladio wonder if he could somehow manage a warp away like Noct or Nyx because honestly, he’d rather be anywhere but here at the moment.

“I was trying to be sexy!” came his muffled reply as he lowered his hands to peek his eyes out, warm amber meeting vibrant blue.

Another little giggle escaped Prompto as he settled back down on Gladio’s chest, his expression softening instantly.  He brought his hand up to soothe through the others dark hair, his eyes still sparkling with mirth, but trying to remain calm for his boyfriends sake.

“Hey, big guy,” he murmured fondly, noting how red the Shields ears and cheeks were as far as he could see them still hidden behind his hands.  Leaning forward he pressed a soft kiss to the man’s knuckles where his mouth was hidden.  “Come on.  I’m calm now.  Try again?  For me?  I’m sure it was just my nerves getting the better of me.  You know I giggle when things get intense and you are… like… the epitome of intense!”

The soft kiss to the back of his hands and the soothing fingers through his hair did help to calm Gladio’s now slightly knocked ego.  Lowering them from his mouth he settled them on the others back, thumbs lightly soothing against the fabric of his thin shirt.  The pout had managed to manifest and was currently still adorning his face as he took his boyfriends words into consideration.

“Promise you won’t laugh?” Gladio asked, eyeing the other and looking for any sort of hidden future betrayal behind those eyes. Prompto chuckled softly before giving a little nod of affirmation.

“I promise!  No laughter shall pass these lips while you try to seduce me again.  Like I said, I’m a bundle of nerves and I can’t help laughing a bit to get them out.  Go on.  Try again?” he offered gently, pressing a few kisses over Gladio’s cheeks to encourage him out of his pout.

It only took a few peppered kisses over his face before Gladio squirmed slightly and his pout instantly broke out into a bright smile, a few deep chuckles escaping him as well.

“Okay, okay!” he laughed as Prompto settled back down and waited patiently for whatever was about to happen.

Clearing his throat a bit, Gladio let his expression shift from playful to one of gentle adoration, his amber eyes focused completely on Prompto, a soft smile playing across his lips as his hands soothed over his back once more.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous, babe.”

Prompto’s cheeks turned pink.  That had to be a good sign, right?  Perhaps that’s what he needed to do… a softer touch instead of the more sexual approach he’d originally tried.

“Your freckles are like little constellations… something I could spend hours pondering and naming,” he murmured, a hand coming up to cup the others cheek, a thumb running over the soft skin there.

Prompto’s lips began to tremble and Gladio wondered if perhaps it was from emotion.

Maybe he was getting it right this time!

“Your eyes are the most gorgeous blue.  Like the signs of a haven, they also offer me safety and warmth,” he purred, feeling Prompto start to tremble against him.  Was he really that good to make the gunner lose composure like this?

Pft.  Obviously.

Time for the kill then.

“And then there’s your smile.  Bright and carefree… encompassing all of your warmth into one moment for me to enjoy and savor like a perfect Summer’s day.”

Instantly Prompto hid his face against Gladio’s chest, his entire frame now positively shaking as Gladio felt a sense of pride as he’d managed to turn the gunner into a puddle of mush with his charisma and seduction!

And then he heard it.

A snort, quickly followed by another and then wheezing giggles that soon grew into a deep belly laugh.

“Oh come on!  You’re killin’ me!” Gladio groaned, tossing his arms overhead and tangling his hands in his hair as he watched his partner falling to pieces in a way he had definitely not imagined him.

Prompto snickered as he looked up at his boyfriend, bringing a hand up to wipe away a few tears of mirth from his eyes as he tried to quell the giggles once again, watching as Gladio’s expression turned into a slight glower.  This only made Prompto giggle again and a teasing smile crossed his features.

“I couldn’t help it!  You were so into it!  It was… sweet, but… cheesy, dude,” he tried to explain, making Gladio narrow his eyes as he continued to tease.  “It was like… something you’d steal right out of those romance novels you like.”

“Those are classics!”

“Those are hot garbage, buddy,” he razzed back making Gladio huff before lowering his arms, one hanging listlessly off the side of the couch as he turned his face away from his mean boyfriend.

“You’re hot garbage,” he mumbled, making Prompto snort and poke his cheek with his finger.

“Awww… don’t be that way!” he cooed, smirking a bit.  “Gladio...  Gladio...  Wherefore art thou Gladio?  Deny thy romances novels and refuse they trashy bodice rippers!” he crooned, each sentence punctuated by another poke to his boyfriends stubbled cheek before tugging at his ear.

Instantly amber eyes were locked on Prompto’s once more, a fire burning within them now.

“That’s it!  You wanna laugh?  I’ll give you somethin’ to laugh about Chocobo-butt!” he roared, though his eyes showed nothing but a playful exuberance.

Instantly sitting up he captured Prompto around the waist and in a matter of seconds he had the poor gunner pinned beneath him, wrists trapped overhead in one large hand as Gladio settled himself on the others thighs.

He wanted to teach him a lesson, not crush him to death.

“Gl-Gladio?  Big guy?  B-Buddy?” Prompto asked with a nervous smile playing over his lips as Gladio loomed over him, a wide and devious smile adoring his own features.

“You think I’m funny?  You think my compliments and seduction are something to laugh at?  If you want to laugh so bad while I compliment you then I can make it happen, bright eyes,” he purred, bringing his free hand down to Prompto’s lithe waist, giving it a few squeezes and making the gunner yip and squirm.

“No!  N-Noho, Glahahadio!” he pleaded, already feeling his cheeks and ears flush as his weakness was used against him.  “I’m sorry!  I’m really, reheheally s-sor-AHAHA!”

Gladio’s fingers had instantly moved up to attack the gunners vulnerable underarms, his worst spot that always sent the blonde into a frenzy, this time being no different.

Prompto instantly threw his head back in wild laughter, tugging at his wrists to try and free and protect himself, but to no avail.  His legs kicked out behind Gladio as he tried to form a coherent thought.

“STAHAahahAHAP!  SteheheAH!  Me-MehehEHEHRCY!” he rambled, as Gladios fingertips just lightly tickled against the sensitive hollows of his left armpit and then his right before switching back again.

“What?  Isn’t this what you wanted?  To laugh while I seduced you?  Which reminds me!  Have I ever told you how your freckles are like constellations?” he reiterated from before, drawing a finger up the man’s bicep to trace a few freckles that dotted along his arm and over to his shoulder, easing some of the more manic laughter into light giggles.  

“I could trace and name them for hours,” he murmured, continuing the light tracing back down into Prompto’s underarm, eliciting a squeak from the blonde and making him shake his head.

Deciding to be kind, Gladio moved his hand away from the sensitive spot, instead bringing his hand down to the others stomach and clawing lightly right into the center, getting a hiccupped laugh from Prompto this time as the tears of laughter escaped down his cheeks. “And your eyes.  Have I mentioned your eyes?  How blue they are and how they make me feel safe?” he asked conversationally with a smirk as Prompto tried to shimmy side to side to escape the tummy tickles raining down upon him.

“N-Nononononono!  No-hot the-hehehere!  You… You m-monstahahahaha!” he laughed as Gladio snuck his fingers under his shirt to tickle and tease against his lower ribs, making him arch his back and squeeze his eyes shut.

Gladio was utterly unphased and chuckled at his boyfriends plight, finding the sensitive spot between his lowest ribs and vibrating his fingers there quickly, causing Prompto’s laughter to raise in pitch as he tried to tug his arms free once more.

“And what was the last thing?” he pondered, letting his hand drift down to the others hip, his thumb digging into the little dip there and massaging maddening circles that had Prompto wanting to crawl out of his skin as he kicked his legs against the couch cushions, bucking under the man to try and get his hips away from the tickle tyrant! “Oh, right!  That lovely smile of yours that warms me like a Summer’s day.  Look!  It’s there now!” he teased as he skittered his fingers back up the gunners side to tickle his outstretched underarm one more time.  “Such a gorgeous smile.  Don’t you agree, babe?”

As Gladio’s fingers spidered against his armpit, Prompto found he’d easily agree to anything at this point and instantly started nodding if it would only end his torment. “Y-YEHEHYES!  YE-YeSAhahAhAHA!” he cackled wildly as Gladio smiled down at his adorably flustered and flushed partner.

He finally ceased his attack, moving his hand to soothe against his boyfriends waist and ducked down to press a few soft kisses against his pink and freckled cheeks.

“There.  Now I think we got all those tension giggles out of ya and you can appreciate my awesome wooing skills,” he teased, nuzzling his nose against Prompto’s as he released his hold on his wrists.

Prompto immediately brought his arms down, wrapping them around Gladio’s neck and hiding against his shoulder as best he could.

“I-I… I promise… no more teasing,” he giggled, shaking his head.  “I… d-did find them sweet.  I just… don’t take compliments well, ya know?  Giggling helps.”

Gladio smiled gently at that and shifted them both so he could lay beside the smaller man on the couch, keeping Prompto close to his chest so he didn’t roll off the edge.

“Hey… if gigglin’ is how you can take a compliment that’s okay with me too.  Either way I’m not gonna stop doing it.  And your laugh is cute anyway.  Melodious even,” he chuckled, earning him a gentle swat to his chest.

“You’re so cheesy!” Prompto giggled softly, looking up at the Shield and getting a soft kiss to his lips for the effort.

“Yeah… and you love it.”

“Yeah… I suppose I really do.”

Perhaps this was something that Prompto could handle.  Especially if Gladio was there to help him with it.

[thebeauregardbros]

Persona: Would your muse be considered two faced? Do they have ‘faces’ that they hide from the public?

Within the indoor garden, Alus sat himself elegantly and gingerly upon his chair. He gently lifted his small white teacup up to his nose - the warm smell of honey and chamomile. He hesitated before sipping.

“… I must ask of thee, do thy believeth of fairness to harm another to saveth oneself? To save those who plead for thy help, yet to harm a being with crime only beest that of life and living. To hurt another is to hurt oneself in another life, to take responsibility for a life one simply cannot live.”

Alus moved his hand around absent-mindedly, watching upon the liquid in his teacup jostle and swirl.

“– Yet, we make this choice.” he set the cup down and leaned himself forward. “Doth a spider commit crime to catch a fly? Yet ‘tis the fly’s own crime to land in the spider’s web, as the spider must consume to continue living. That is the balance of nature, no?” He rubbed his temple, squinting his eyes closed whilst he continued his speech; “So when doth villager asketh of me to slay an enemy that bothers them of noise - If thy villager cannot sleep, they will die. If enemy does not move away, it must die.. It hath no-where else to go. This is the inevitable truth of many situations, grand scale or no. I must ask of thee, does anyone know what is ‘fair’ in these situations? The grand tipping of the scales always seems to come back to coin.”

He leans back and stares at the ceiling, facing away from the tea table; a quietly annoyed expression adorning his face. “… And with that coin, I may help someone else live without harming another. I can tip the scales slightly back; give food to those with no-where else to live. I must ask of thee– Your opinion upon refugees fleeing from war? That doth be a whole ‘nother case, a whole other complicated tragedy. And furthermore, I must asketh the logic that the Hyur, Hrothgar, Viera, Miqo’te, Elezen, Lalafell, Au’Ra and Roegadyn may live more valuable lives than that of the beastmen - or that of the chocobo, or the dog, or the insect, or even the trees, that we must take their lives in priority. ‘Tis an incredibly unfair question, one that simply cannot - and should not be answered.”

Alus positions himself back towards the chair across him, straightening his posture. “So I must, in regret, explaineth mine actions through a half-wished answer: I followeth mine own commandments; a code; a list. Ones that seemeth collide with mine previously explained logic. A choice I hath made, one I am always unsure of, and yet - I know I can no longer question, for ‘twould be unfair to this bloody mess of a balance in universe. Mind my words not, I am speaking gibberish for lack of a better idea of expression.

“I do whatever I can for the grand happiness of… Those I care about. I value life over everything, for I love all those I meet, and not taketh unless I am absolutely given no other choice - For ‘tis my duty to protect those who ask of it for me, and I will forever give everything I can to reach my hand out towards villains who may wish to change their violent ways for peace - ‘Tis all I can do. To not balance, but to find happiness in mine own heart, for I hath found the best way for mine own happiness is to bring as much happiness as I can for those around me, a mission I knoweth cannot be satisfactory to everybody. The majority is all I can shoot for. A mission I am destined doth to never complete, a mission.. that is ultimately rather selfish. If I can stick to this mind, then.. I need not question further. I have decideth this to be the life I live.”

He lifts up his teacup to finally sip it, allowing his mind a moment of silent peace. As the liquid touches his dry lip, he finds himself disappointed at it’s now cool temperature. He sets the cup back down, sighing deeply.

“Do thy find myself two-faced? For I know, in a way, I am a villain in the hearts of flies.. Yet I usher the words of a stereotypical hero with all my heart. I can naught feel but I am a hypocrite. And for that, I can naught feel but deeply ashamed.”

He smiles a melancholy grin at the stuffed animal in the seat across from him, then sighs deeply. He downs the cup of cold chamomile tea, then gets up to reheat his pot.

((OOC Answer Below))

Alus tends to be extremely honest! He’s absolutely an open book. He hates keeping secrets from people, even those he doesn’t know he just feels terrible for lying to. ‘Blunt Honesty’ rarely becomes a problem for him, however, because even when he openly insults someone he does an immense effort to also compliment them and point out how they could improve themselves in a polite & constructive way. I think this attitude could definitely still annoy some people, surely! But regardless; he’s a good honest boy. When he is absolutely forced to lie to someone for a mission, he tends to just keep his mouth shut instead of speak (which people who know him well will find very suspicious; he’s a complete chatterbox about everything normally.) - He finds it morally reprehensible to not always tell the truth, and he would hate that image to be placed upon him - even a little lie!

However, that does not mean that he allows himself to open up and get emotionally close to people enough for them to know his inner heart and thoughts; Lying and changing the focus of a topic are two very different things to him. He is terrified of being disliked by anybody, and if he in any way feels that his philosophical musing might trigger some sort of negative response, he’d rather keep himself at a distance from people. He would rather just be that goofy Paladin that saves everybody and makes everyone happy, and nothing else. His true self is not good enough for the people he cares for - and that actually extends into his psychology concerning his physical body, as well, being scarred and imperfect - He is ashamed by the fact he cannot be perfect for everybody.

[starcunning]

Suffer Me to Cherish You: 17 Nov

Fanfest good, game good, friends good, sleep ... good.

Previously: Week One, Week Two Previously: 11 Nov, 12 Nov, 13 Nov, 14 Nov, 15 Nov, 16 Nov

Chapter Nine

They went not as did adventurers, carried on currents of aether. Myste was weak enough now to make that a dangerous proposition, and so they dozed in the back of a chocobo carriage. Myste drowsed with his head against her shoulder, his brow against her chin, his breath against her neck. She was so tired. The journey made her weary, she supposed.

He had told her all along, hadn’t he? She had simply misunderstood, or chosen to misunderstand. Myste could not raise the dead, only breathe life into their memories. It was perhaps a relief to know that the mother who stood in the field was a reflection of nothing more than X’khilo’s perceptions of who she was, who he wanted her to be. But X’khilo never knew who had sired Shasi, and perhaps Shasi would never know.

It was a relief and a burden all its own to know that X’khilo Nunh was not her father in blood as well as deed. It should have freed her to forsake the tribe at last, but the nunh’s blood had never been what bound her to them.

No, you were never one for renunciation, Fray said. She did not answer, looking down at the boy resting on her lap. No sorrow touched his face in sleep. He did not stir as she put her arms around him, carefully arranging his silver hair. He looked like Ysayle. She had always held that to be true. But he looked like someone else, too. He looked like … Everything you’ve lost, come back to you. “Mm,” she said, noncommittal in her tone. She could hear the steady pace of the chocobos on the road, and she missed Anthea, left behind when she had chased currents of aether to distant shores. Myste stirred just the same, blinking up at her. “Are we there?” he asked. “Nearly, little bird. I can see the light glinting off that horrible statue even from here.” She lifted a hand, and he shifted in his place to follow the line of her arm. “How awful. What will we find there?” “A friend,” she said. “He will treat you kindly, I promise.” “And he needs my help?” She thought of him proffering the siphon; remembered his voice in her ear as she stood in the Royal Menagerie, overwhelmed with uncertainty. “Perhaps more than anyone else I know,” she said. Oh, there was Thancred, of course, whose demons were without number, but she got no sense that Myste could allay them. “I should have asked Unukalhai to come and visit,” she said. “You remind me of one another.” “Why?” Myste wondered, shifting and stretching in the carriage, at last settling beside her. Shasi tilted her head, considering the question. “Both of you are overburdened by a weight that should never have been yours to bear,” she said. “But I don’t mind it, really,” Myste said. “I like being able to help people. I love people. If I can take their grief and grant them peace, that’s a worthwhile trade. It makes me happy, to see them smile again.” “What will you do when all the aether of my crystal is returned to me?” Shasi asked. “I suppose I’ll go away,” Myste said, and the ache she felt at the notion surprised her.

The carriage jolted to a stop a moment later, and Shasi breathed in the salt air of Vesper Bay. She jumped down from the back of the carriage first, holding her hands out to Myste, who let her help him down, then turned his face to catch the sun. She smiled, and he smiled too.

The Waking Sands looked abandoned—but it only looked abandoned, she knew. Its shade was yet welcome after the pressing heat of the Thanalan sun. How quickly she had forgotten, having fled its light. The glamour was convincing; Shasi was sure she tasted dust with every breath, and the stairway looked surpassingly precarious, such that even she herself balked at the first step. “If you need to,” Shasi told Myste, “you can just put a hand on my shoulder and close your eyes, feeling for the next step with your feet. I promise it’s safe.” “I know,” Myste said. “You would never hurt me.” Shasi felt a pulse of aether as she skimmed the toe of her boot over the first step. That would be the alert, she surmised, and when she made it to the bottom of the stairway, the door opened and Urianger stepped out.

She had to look up to meet his eyes—if indeed she did; the goggles obfuscated where his attentions were laid. His hood, too, sought to obscure him, and Myste seemed shy of him a moment, but Shasi settled a hand on the nape of the boy’s neck. “It’s good to see you, Urianger,” she said by way of greeting. “I’m sorry that I could not sooner warn you of my intention to visit, but it was a decision made in some haste.” “It is no trouble, my lady,” Urianger said. “Full glad am I to see you well, as ever. This, then, is the guest of which thee told me?” “Yes,” Shasi said. “This is Myste, my traveling companion. Myste, this is Urianger Augurelt. He is a great many things—a sage of Sharlayan, one of the Archons that followed Louisoix Leveilleur to Eorzea, and an accomplished scholar—but most importantly to me, he has been a dear friend.” Myste seemed overawed by that, but he stepped through the door when Shasi shepherded him forward. “It’s good to meet you,” he said. “I am glad to make thine acquaintance, Myste—and to hear that thee thinkest me still thy friend, my lady,” Urianger said. She blinked at him, faltering in her step for just a moment. “Of course,” she said a moment later, not a dismissal but an insistence.

They retired to the anteroom, which was much the same as Shasi remembered it—only emptier, with no Scions to sit around the table there. None but two, anyway, and Myste sat beside Shasi, solemn in the dim light of the room. “My lady tells me thou art possessed of a unique ability to speak with those departed,” Urianger said. “Yes,” Myste said. “When did this potential make manifest itself in thee?” the Elezen wondered. “I’ve been able to do it all my life.” “Dost thou recall the first instance of that power’s usage?” “Yes,” Myste said. “I was with some people I really admired, the sort of people who fought to protect others from the grief and sadness of this world. But … I had nothing really to contribute to their efforts, and so I kept to my silent admiration.” His chin fell to his chest, hair cascading forward as though to curtain away his shame. “It is isolating work, though, to be the bulwark of the innocent, and one day I heard a cry, as if from a great depth. I felt that loneliness as my own, and I wanted to alleviate it … since then, that has been my greatest joy and sole purpose.” Myste lifted a hand to brush his hair back over one pointed ear. He smiled across the table at Urianger. Shasi looked over at her old friend, too, but his face gave nothing away, his implacable mouth framed by silvery bristles. “What became of these people you admired?” Urianger asked. “What becomes of all of us, sooner or later? The bonds between us were broken. But … I do not hate them for that. Truthfully, I am drawn to that sort of person.” He turned to look up at Shasi. “That’s why I knew you would help me. Because you’re a good person.” Shasi only pursed her lips, glancing away. “Do you want to show Urianger what you can do?” she said instead. “Only if that’s what he wants,” Myste said, looking ashamed. Shasi gave him a nod of reassurance. “That there existeth a life untouched by loss I must surely doubt,” Urianger said, “least of all my own. My mentor preceedeth me through circumstances too strange to consider, but words enough from him have I to comfort me. If thou wouldst do me kindness, there is another I would speak to again, had I the opportunity.” Myste stared at the scholar, and for a long moment, Shasi was afraid he might refuse, but then she heard the swift approach of heavy footsteps.

“Urianger!” cried Moenbryda Wilfsunnwyn, leaning over the back of Urianger’s chair to throw her arms around him. She rested her chin atop his head, pulling his body back against hers. “Moenbryda,” he said, “this is most unseemly.”

[miluette]

Ignoct Week Day 4 ~ Fatebending

(For @ignoctweek​ -- Every week is Ignoct Week in my heart. I struggled with finishing this for multiple reasons, but I’m calling it done now. There are tense switches and probably still errors in spite of that.)

Simple: Injury Situational: Noctis is the one who goes blind instead of Ignis

(Thankfully, both prompts are kind of the same thing…)

Rating: E10+ Tags/Warnings: injury, blindness, Episode Ignis spoilers, tangentially domestic ending

“If thy will is true, thou shalt wear this ring and lose your life, but not also without cost to the King Himself.”

Ignis, surrounded by the Rulers of Yore, stares up at the cold, unfeeling mask of the Mystic. “What cost should he incur? I told you I will pay the price!”

“The Anointed still wieldeth the power of our Star, a power unequal to all of life upon it. From Him we shalt take His sight.”

“No!”

“Then burn as others before you.”

“No -- I -- I won’t let him die, not for this! It’s not right! It’s not...fair!”

“Our concern is the fate of the Star,” says the Fierce.

“You’re taking everything from him! Even this world--”

“It is thou who interfereth with fate.”

Ignis throws his gaze to his feet. Will Noctis ever forgive him? Not knowing he has to die, but eventually, someday, somehow, knowing that Ignis’s actions cost him his sight… Will Noctis even stand to be around him anymore?

What hurts more: the world without Noctis, or Ignis’s world without Noctis?

Yet true is it that there is no decision to be made. Fate be damned, the world will have Noctis, and Noctis will have the world. The Prince will regain his life. Noctis will live on to love again, to rest peacefully, to have children who would carry on his legacy. Noctis deserves no less.

Eyes rising again slowly, they meet the Mystic with a determined pain. “So be it.”

The Rulers’ voices boom as one. “The contract is forged. The ring is now thine to control.”

“...Forgive me, Noct.”

…

For Noctis, it wasn’t painful. He came to, and all he opened his eyes to was a thick, deep darkness.

Luna’s light had left him. Everything lay in ruin around him, no signs of an Altar, an Altissia.

Darkness.

Yet, his friends were there. All but one.

It was days more before they found Ignis. Rushing across vast distances, Ravus commanded an entire army against the missing Chancellor. “Wherever he is, you’ll find Ignis,” he had said.

As an airship split the sky, Noctis’s friends were forced to explain what had happened. Only Gladiolus had known the full truth. The Shield could hardly look at his Prince -- not that it would have mattered. Fading eyes unseeing, Noctis couldn’t measure his brother’s pain, not so long as the Shield kept his voice steady, struggling against deep-seeded and aching gasps that came with the memory of his foretelling.

Awe would simply bring Prompto to silence. His hand seldom left Noctis’s shoulder. Never had he felt smaller, yet he who would soon Ascend as the Chosen made it known that Prompto mattered more to him now than ever in these dark times, a friend ever at his side in spite of all that had happened.

When finally he had gotten a moment to himself, Noctis had nearly vomited.

He had faltered in his true responsibility, and this was where it had led them. His only family. The only people he loved. Condemned to suffering, dying. Sacrificing what little they had left, tearing away their very essence.

For what? For him? He who had neglected to care for himself for so long? He who had spent more time playing video games than leading people?

But there had been no time for this self-pity. There had been no time for him to run his mind back through all the missteps that led to this moment, nor was there time to mourn. No; a King’s vision extended beyond his eyes, and his power extended to all of those who he loved. Ignis...was still alive. He could feel it in the sparks about his skin. Ignis had still been fighting for his life. So, too, would he fight for Ignis.

…

Noctis feels an immense power bend to his will. It isn't like the hollow void of melancholy he’d felt as he parted ways with Ravus, leaving him to tend to his dear sister. In the liminal space created by a single man's passion, ruin lying in the wake of the Crystal, he feels something entirely new awaken beneath his skin.

The power of life.

In his arms, Ignis, body ashen, lies succumbing to this power, the grips of Eos delivering him from the brink.

As his consciousness returns, the first thing he sees is Noctis’s eyes, pale as an overcast day, determined yet sharp between thick strands of jet black hair. He notices that the Prince wears his birthright before their hands slip away from each other’s.

“Noct…”

“I’m going to fix everything, Iggy.”

“Heal yourself, Noct…”

The form of the Crystal's power edges around Ignis’s face, illuminating a jaw still set strongly in spite of his strife, eyes full of concern. All the sounds -- the Crystal’s radiant pulsing, Gladiolus’s uneven breath, Prompto’s fidgeting -- go quiet as Noctis is enveloped with this new sight.

Yes.

This is his Ignis.

Ignis had given up the world for him.

Noctis presses his forehead to Ignis’s, feeling as the warmth and light return to him. As he pulls away, Ignis's eyes fall on him, and Noctis smiles.

“Wait for me.”

…

Ignis found it somewhat hard to live with himself for a while. That’s why his friends had come together for him. On certain days, he wouldn’t even trust himself, and the others wouldn’t leave him alone with his thoughts. Together, in unison, they moved forward and completed the work their future King had started, traveling the land, rallying the remnants of the Glaive, strengthening themselves.

When the King finally returned, he emerged to a world made darker in his absence. He followed the light on the horizon, the call of his friends, the pull of his heart.

For as he slept for ten long years, he felt someone with him, a soul-visitor. In sharing this Ring, the divine right of the blood of Lucis Caelum, Ignis had bonded with him. Planes drift closer in slumber, and two minds nearly become one.

“I’m here.”

When their consciousness had drifted together, when by spirits outstretched and ephemeral fingertips touching their minds could meet, they sought to remind each other that there was an end to this separation. There was light beyond the dark shroud of the Star.

There had been a plan.

And when the sun rose again, they had their King. And when the sun shone upon him, all he wanted was Ignis’s frame bathed in citrus hue. Gone were kings past, though what remained was their scar. Gone was any sense of the eye that once drew a shape of sculpted jawlines and arched cupid’s bows, delineated the arc of thin glasses frames with seafoam eyes behind them. What remained was the memory of a feeling etched into his skin, flaring in the warmth of daylight as lips again met.

Ignis had Noctis’s love.

…

“Why did you do it?”

The question comes decades after Noctis has settled into the throne and Lucis has regained some of its luster.

“Pardon?”

It comes over breakfast, another of Ignis’s innumerable, loving creations. Noctis enjoys chocobo-shaped pancakes even without sight.

That he would ask this question now… “It’s just amazing to me,” Noctis says, tone almost matter-of-fact. “For a while, I thought I’d lost it all. But...here we are. We have a home. A family. A world. It’s thanks to you. I...think about it every day, but I never say it, do I?”

“I believe you say it multiple times a night.”

Noctis waves his hand with a light chuckle. “Ignis… You nearly died.”

Noctis hears the clatter of Ignis’s silverware as the man resumes finishing off his plate. “Hurling myself at a catoblepas for food money and putting on the Ring of the Lucii aren’t much different from each other, in the scheme of things.”

Noctis laughs, a genuine and loud sound that makes Ignis’s heart swell, each and every time.

“I’m serious.”

“I know.” A hard grin parts a well-kept and greying beard with eyes to match. Noctis stands to walk to Ignis’s side of the table, fingers gliding along the edge. “I always knew you had a secret wild side.” As the King places himself in the other king’s lap, Ignis almost automatically wraps his arms around his waist. “Only you could have pulled off something like that.”

“Only you could have set things right. I always believed in you. Though, I thought for certain that you would be...upset.”

“Upset’s one way to put it. One could hardly argue with the outcome, though.”

“If I could’ve wrapped my arms around you like this--”

“I felt you in my heart. It made things easier. Like...way easier. Besides, how long’s it been? I’ve been wrapped in your arms every night since.”

It is true: Ignis had wanted to impress upon Noctis his shape, never let him forget the feel of his embrace, the warmth of it. As the light of the Kings’ power now lights the sky, Noctis has also burned the memory of Ignis’s face into his mind’s eye, lest his inner vision remain dark.

Hair that dances like fire. Eyes that bring him to calm. Speckled skin as if each dot were placed by the paintbrush of the gods. A smile that had pierced his heart the moment he’d seen it with the ethereal vision that no one else possesses.

How it matched his memory of their first meeting.

Ignis lights up his world.

“So, you're saying that apologizing now would be silly?”

Noctis laughs. “I love you.”

He refuses to forget.

[lunamanar]

Hey, Luna, are you still doing the ask thing? If so, I was wondering if you had any headcanons regarding the Leonhart and Heartilly extended families? As in, do Squall, Linoa or Ellone have other still living relatives? People always talk about the parental issues in this game, but the rest of their families possibly being around never gets brought up.

I’m always “doing the ask thing,” haha~ 

(pardon me I’m gonna ramble real quick and then I’ll answer your actual questions)

I actually used to do this quite a lot before I got a new job and had to move my entire family of three people and eight(8, VIII) cats 500 miles northbound. Which was…incredibly stressful, and I just had no energy or brainspace left at the end of each day to communicate much, if at all, with large groups of people. So this stuff was right out. It pretty much tore me away from tumblr for a year and a half. I’ve been really bummed about that and kept trying to “get back into it,” but my several meager attempts at jumping back in got sidetracked by life responsibilities, and especially with tumblr’s new restrictions on external links not being searchable, the whole trawling for art thing I used to do just isn’t as feasible at this point in time because I have to edit each post very carefully so it will still show up in a search. That’s time-consuming. Maybe when I go back to 3rd shift in December (I hope) I’ll be able to art-hunt “full time,” again, but I just have a limited space in which to do that, now. 

However, I can still do asks! And I really enjoy them, they’re fun and engaging and, hell I admit, I like it when people want to hear my opinion on things. But I was having a hard time, uh…asking for asks, haha. It felt too much like I was begging for attention. But then stuff happened and I had the worst pain spike I’ve had all year, and I kinda just broke down and said I needed a distraction. My chronic pain issues can be absolutely debilitating, and can lay me flat in bed for days (I had to take two days off work last week). But if I can manage to engross myself in something creative, it’s like a shot of cortisone. I think I get something of a rush, an adrenaline/endorphin kick out of it, and it does a lot to mitigate whatever the hell it is that causes my problem. I mean, that’s probably true of a lot of illnesses; you get attention and positive feedback and your brain rewards you with pleasant chemicals. But whatever, it worked and now I feel like I’m getting back in the game. I just have to keep the momentum up, now. 

*cough* Ahem. So you asked me a thing. I will answer. 

I do have headcanons about Squall’s extended family, specifically. I’ve not built out Rinoa’s yet…partially because it just never really comes up in the stories I’ve either plotted out or written. So I can’t answer that part of it–yet–but I can talk about Squall’s. 

Working backwards: starting with Laguna’s side, Laguna is the oldest of two siblings, and not one, but both of them are kinda “black sheep” in the family. Partially it was their upbringing; Their mother, Elga Loire, was overworked and underappreciated, often working two jobs to keep food on the table (which she did very well). She didn’t have a lot of time to spend with her kids because of this, and the main reason for it was that their dad, Sevren Jr., was…kind of a loser? I mean, no, that’s not a good word, but a lot of people would call him that. He was an inventor. And always, always on the verge of the one that would make it big, this time. Automated chocobo saddles, “sliding” shoes to make walking more efficient, paramagic-powered chairs….yyyeah. You get why they were broke all the time. Sevren often traveled to demonstrate his newest creations, so he was absent a lot of the time, too. But when he came back, he would always bring the boys–Laguna and River (you must see where I’m going with this double-entendre)–some new toy or strange item from whatever country or town he’d visited. 

This was fascinating to Laguna, in particular. Even as a kid, he dreamed of traveling the world. When he got older, joining the army seemed like the fastest way to do that, soooo….he roped his two best friends into joining with him. Heh. 

Now, River…wasn’t into that stuff so much. He thought it was silly. He preferred to help Elga when she was at home, and even when she wasn’t, he ended up doing a lot of the house chores while his older brother went out and nearly died repeatedly trying to do dumb things. River was ‘fine’ just keeping to himself, reading and listening to music when he could get the radio to pick something up. As he grew up, he became a bit of a…punk? Like, he would be listening to Bad Religion in 1992. On the other hand, maybe Dream Theater when he was feeling happy. I imagine him looking a lot like Leon in KH2, but with hazel eyes (Sevren’s were brown) and no Griever all over his clothes. He cut his own hair so it always looked a bit jagged and unkempt, and he left it semi-long. Just generally prescient. He became pretty resentful of authority because he saw how it treated his mother and conspired to keep them all poor, and him too, when he got old enough to get a job (Laguna never had one until the army). It made him all the more determined to help his mother (and father, to an extent) weather the storm until the tides changed. 

But then…well. They changed. But not for the better. Their dad died, and very suddenly, of an embolism. And, bitter as she was about having to support the family nearly single-handedly, Elga Loire loved Sevren quite a bit, and fell into some pretty deep broken heart syndrome. Inconsolable, she lost both her jobs. Laguna had already traipsed off to the army with his friends, and wouldn’t be aware of any of this for several weeks. River was left to care for their mother alone, and although they owned their small home, she had to sell it just to make ends meet. She moved in with a friend, and River…well, she sent him to the army, too. She insisted, thinking it was the best way to get both her sons out of this mess. Laguna already seemed to be doing well. 

River did not do so well. He survived boot camp, but deserted his first year in service. 

Laguna never heard from him, after that…and their mother passed away not too long afterward. 

So…that’s Laguna’s end of it. As far as anyone knows, River is still out there. But Laguna hasn’t seen him in nearly 30 years. So, Squall has a missing uncle out there, somewhere, maybe. 

Raine’s side…haha, geez, I might need to make a chart. In some ways, Raine is easier because she has no siblings and doesn’t know who her dad is. But I’ve traced her lineage back a bit further, and it gets…weird, in places. I might not be able to describe all of it, here. 

Raine’s mother’s name is Gale. Gale is still alive, and Squall does meet her, once. It’s a solemn, one-time meeting, more an acknowledgement than a reunion. But it’s good. Gale is very practical. She never married, and never told Raine’s father she was pregnant (she didn’t like him for a permanent fixture). She was also a businesswoman. She owned and ran a hotel in middletown Dollet for many years. That’s where Raine got a lot of her experience before setting out on her own. Gale has sandy brown hair that she keeps short, and looks a bit like a taller Ellone in business casual, haha. But, but–those blue eyes. She has those. Her relation to Squall is evident. 

It’s important to remember that although I enjoy both “he named himself” and “it’s Raine’s maiden name” theories, I’m pretty firmly in the camp of Raine’s last name being Leonhart. The story of Gale’s mother, Shiara (this is Arashi [storm] with the syllables reversed), depends on it, because she is the originator. I can’t detail the entire thing here–just too long–but the brief synopsis is that Shiara was a sorceress, in a time when sorceresses (”witches”) and “resistance” groups hell-bent on killing them all were in a state of cold war with one another. When Shiara became a sorceress, she panicked and ran away. She ended up being captured by one of these resistance factions, and had what I can only call a very complicated relationship with the faction’s leader, Dericho (this is the river Jericho with the first letter changed, making it phonetically very similar to Derecho, which is yet another type of storm). 

Dericho’s faction was called, yes, the Pride, and they operated under a familiar leonine emblem. Of all his ancestors, Squall probably most closely resembles Dericho facially. Dericho is slightly shorter, his hair is a bit darker, and his eyes are a bit more on the grey side, but his posture, the way he carries himself, his facial expressions, his voice, even the sweep of his hair and the length he tends to keep it are all very familiar. A lot of those qualities were apparently recessive and just skipped a couple generations before thy found a match and popped up again. 

How Shiara came to have Gale is a story I’d personally rather tell in prose, but I will say that it was Dericho who essentially named her, telling her in all his years of vetting people who want to be worthy of being called a Lion, Shiara was the only person he’d met with the heart of one. She carried that with her the rest of her life.

She is not, sadly, alive, having died at a ripe old age (and not terribly, since she was prepared with a willing successor nearby). She never actually told Gale about her powers, and to the very last, Gale never knew. The touch of sorcery ended there, seemingly. Dericho is also gone. 

But I’m not done yet. One more generation, and this time, Hyne’s power is quite evident. Dericho’s mother, Hanwei, was a sorceress, his father was her knight, and they were quite open about it, feeling safe with it in their particular neck of the woods. Dericho was very familiar with the touch of his mother’s magic–she used it with him the way any mother would use a gentle hand, soothing scraped knees, gently grabbing his arm to pull him out of trouble–from fifteen feet away. His father, Mael[strom], was quite happy in his service to his wife and sorceress, and both Dericho’s parents loved him very much. When they embraced him, he could feel their connections tangling around him, and it was a very comfortable, safe way to be a child. 

Of course, we can’t have that, can we?

When Dericho was about 5 or 6, they had been attending a fair that ran late into the night. Dericho started to nod off, so they went home early. It was a short distance, so they decided to walk instead of paying to ride a carriage to their home. Unfortunately, as you can probably guess, they were ambushed, by a particularly nasty faction called the Ridgebacks. Upon discovering Hanwei was a sorceress…well, let’s say the result was not pretty. At all. Dericho watched both his parents die, and his mother in particular, because she had no nearby successor. He was then “adopted” by the very faction who murdered his parents before his eyes. 

Without going into specifics, they took this traumatized child, a blank slate, and turned him into one of them. But…not quite. By 17, Dericho didn’t know any other way of existing than as part of the factions, anymore, but he knew he still hated the Ridgebacks for what they had done. He murdered his “mentor” of a dozen or so years, killed several people, and took several more boys near his age on his way out of that particular clan. He started his own faction, with his own rules, and one was a “special” way of dispatching witches without having to burn them to dust. The Pride made their name on this and other standards which set their bar just a tad higher. They’d been in operation for almost ten years when Shiara showed up. 

Then, as I said, things got complicated. 

I should also note that Shiara and Dericho both lived in Centra. It was not long after Shiara flew free that the fateful Lunar Cry occurred, which deposited the Crystal Pillar and destroyed a third of the continent. Shiara barely escaped that disaster with her life…and her newborn daughter. 

So….yeah, I think that’s about it, for now. If I ever get to working out my Rinoa’s tree, maybe I’ll put that up here as well, but for now, Squall’s all I’ve got, and his is hell in a handbasket. 

I hope you enjoyed it, though!

[siren-dragon]

The Heart of the Scourge -- (Ardyn Izunia) Fanfic

Here’s a little fic I wrote based on my Shadow of the Colossus idea for Ardyn. I’m sorry if it’s kinda…bad, as I had a really hard time writing this one since I enjoy both FFXV and SotC. Plus I have been super busy lately with school and work that I couldn’t really focus. Anyway, here you go everybody I hope you all enjoy it and remember, this is an AU. :)

I might continue this, depends on the feedback I get. Let me know what you guys think. ^_^

 TAGGING: @poisonous-panda, @valkyrieofardyn, @eternallydaydreaming2015, @maty-yami, @merroki

The great city of Insomnia remained shrouded in darkness, with its only illumination coming from the faint stars that glittered across the moonless evening sky. A soft tapping echoed down the deserted streets as a large beast trotted through back alleys, the creature’s obsidian plumage making it seem almost like a shadow. Atop the chocobo the rider exhaled heavy breaths, causing large plumes of fog to appear in the cold spring air.

Shifting the other passenger to ensure their secured position, the rider nudged the black chocobo forward and continued to their destination.

No one knew where it had come from.

For centuries, the sickness ravaged Eos; a simple illness that corrupted men and turned them into creatures of darkness. And while he tried his hardest to relieve the pain of his people, it was not enough. He sighed heavily after leaving the quarantined district, the distraught and painful cries of the infected still echoing within his ears. What has the world now come to…

“My lord? Are you alright?”

The magenta-haired king froze, spinning about in anger to see who had caught him in his moment of weakness. And there she stood; a young woman dressed in a simple gown made of quality material, showing her well-to-do lifestyle. Yet she had her hair pinned away from her face as sweat slid from her face and a speck of dirt was smudged upon her nose. Her very appearance seemed to be of a lower social standing, yet those eyes…they shinned with a fierceness that would cause even the bravest of men to tremble.

”Yes, thank you.” He replied politely, “forgive me, but I must be going.”

”It’s alright,” she spoke; causing him to freeze in his tracks. “to feel fear for your people.”

”And what makes you think I am afraid.”

The woman smiled sadly, “because I am scared too.”

He glanced back at her, those (e/c) eyes piercing his very being. “I am King…I can not afford to be afraid.”

”You are also human, your Majesty. And against the might of the Gods…we can only do the best that we can offer.” She answered back before turning to leave.

”…Might I enquire your name?” He asked.

She paused and smiled, “(f/n), your Majesty. Until we meet again, King Ardyn.

  The black chocobo came to a halt on the outskirts of the city, where the temple resided. Quickly the rider dismounted and eased their precious cargo off, cradling the cloaked figure within their arms before entering the sacred building. Heavy footfalls echoed across the stone walls, every sound disturbing the eerie silence that covered the empty place like a shroud.

At long last the path opened to reveal a large chamber, surrounded by statues of the kings of old; each one standing as eternal guardians within their stone prisons. Within the ceiling sat a circular skylight, barely illuminating the chamber with the light of the stars. Quietly and quickly, the rider approached the large alter at the far end of the chamber and placed the figure in their arms upon the table. In one fluid motion, the rider removed the cloak to reveal a body of a woman, her skin pale and grey as black veins spread like spider webs across her flesh.

Gently he trailed fingers across her cold skin, tears falling from golden eyes. “Please, bring her back…Bring her back….”

”You are rather different from the ladies of court.” Ardyn spoke, watching as she sewed new strips of gauze.

(f/n) chuckled. “I am not sure if I should take that as an insult or compliment.”

”I did not mean to offend you, my dear.”

”It is alright, your Majesty; I was only teasing.” She smiled cheekily.

He flushed a pale pink, turning to avoid her gaze. “I…see.”

”Though his Majesty is correct. It is rather difficult to conform to one’s social place when one has naught but themselves and an empty title.” (f/n) replied, placing the strip of gauze in her hand beside the others.

”Yet despite such troubles you come here.” Ardyn replied, gesturing to the entrance of the quarantine sector. “You come to help these people even though it is a thankless task.”

”I could say the same thing about you, your Majesty. You trudge through the muck of society despite all telling you no. These people are doomed to a cursed fate, yet you continue to aid them. Why is that?”

”Because it is the right thing to do.”

(f/n) grinned, “Then I suppose we are of sound mind.”

”I am glad,” Ardyn spoke, taking hold of her hand and causing (f/n) to blush. 

”You are too kind, your Majesty.”

”Ardyn.” He corrected kindly.

She blinked in surprise before a gentle smile spread across her lips. “Very well then…Ardyn.”

”My lord no! Y-You can’t go in there!” one of the attendants gasped, trying to stop him but hesitant to lay a hand upon his person.

“Where is she?!” He snarled, golden eyes flashing dangerously.

The other healers all fell silent, each refusing to answer their king as he sped past them. Quickly he entered the room and froze, staring in fear at the sight before him as the blood drained from his face. There she lay, his sweet (f/n), unconscious upon a bed; the tell-tale signs of the Scourge evident across her skin. Her breathing was slow and barely visible, with the small movement of her chest being the only sign of life.

Ardyn fell to his knees at the sight of his dear love, hands clenched in anger at his sides. Gilgamesh, ever the faithful Shield, placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder. The warrior remained silent as his king sobbed; screams of rage and sorrow echoing throughout the building.

Who dares to summon me?

A deep voice that seemed to reverberate through his entire being shook the young king to his core. Torches along the walls flared to life, burning brightly and casting menacing shadows across the walls of the chamber. He stood tall before the alter, a look of determination lingering in the depths of his amber eyes. “I am Ardyn Lucis Caelum, King of Lucis, and I have come to seek your power.”

Thou ist foolish to plead for such demands, mortal king.

“It is not for myself, but another…” He whispered, glancing to the woman upon the alter. “She was cursed by the Scourge that ravages this world. And I could do nothing to save her….I beg you, please heal her.”

A loud rumble shook the temple as torches flared to life, making Ardyn’s eyes widen in shook. The Astral…was laughing at him. That maiden’s soul has been claimed by the Scourge, and resides upon this realm no longer. Souls cannot be reclaimed once lost, for that is the law of mortals. However….thy request may not be impossible….

“Truly?! She can be saved?” Ardyn gasped in disbelief.

O King of the Stone; I shall bestow upon thee my power, for thou must complete a single task. Journey to the far reaches of thy kingdom and bring deliverance upon thy people, cursed by the Scourge. Return here and thy maiden’s soul will be restored.

He frowned, pondering the deity’s words. “Very well, I accept.”

Know this, thou must accept this task of thy own will. And the price thou pay will be heavy.

“I am King, it is my duty to protect my people. And for her…I would do anything.”

Very well. Go forth, mortal king, and complete thy task; and purge our star of it’s scourge.

In an instant the torches all extinguished, plunging the chamber into darkness once more. Ardyn glanced at the body of his love before spinning on his heel and leaving the temple. He will defeat the Scourge, he must….

They praised his name.

They called him a Savior, blessed by the Gods to save the people from the darkness. All who came before the kind king was healed of their afflictions, as if by magic. Yet despite the cheering crowds or words of gratitude, Ardyn grew tired; weary of his travels and what felt like a never-ending battle against the plague that corrupted his home. Often, he wondered how long he was to continue this task, the mantle of Healer weighing heavily with each person cured.

Until one day…it was over.

“King Ardyn, you are hereby arrested for treason by order of Prince Izunia. Seize him!”

He was dragged back within the city that was once his home, the faces that once greeted him with kindness now sneered in disgust at the sight of him. His armed escort brought him before the temple, pulling him down into the depths of the ancient building and into it’s large audience chamber. The stone statues that stood as guardians now appeared more like righteous judges, ready to smite the wicked. Before the alter stood his dear younger brother, who stared down at the body of his love that rested upon the stone table.

“So, this is what the ‘Chosen King’ has kept hidden from the world. To be taken so young…” He spoke insincerely before turning to face Ardyn.

“You have endangered our people brother, keeping this corpse here.”

“You have no right to do this, Izunia!” Ardyn snarled angrily.

Izunia smirked, summoning his sword as he approached the elder Lucis Caelum. “That is where you’re wrong brother. The Crystal choose me.”

In one fell swoop Izunia sliced off Ardyn’s hand, removing the Ring of the Lucii from the detached limb as Ardyn screamed in agony. “And so, ends the reign of….by the gods…”

Izunia and the rest of his Crownsguard stared in horror as Ardyn’s hand regenerated to it’s original state, leaving nary a mark upon his flesh. The redheaded king looked up, black veins traveling across grey skin as black sludge spilled from his eyes like obsidian tears before vanishing. The ebony-haired prince snarled, sword raised in defense at the being that was once his brother. “Seize that daemon!”

Ardyn fought against those who restrained him, reaching desperately toward the alter; to the woman he loved before being dragged away…

And as he was knelt before the headsman’s block as the masses jeered, he looked toward the heavens with rage filling his blood and cursed the gods. He saw the shadow of an axe raised above his neck and closed his eyes, “I am sorry (f/n).”

The shadow then descended upon him and he knew no more.

The temple remained silent, now abandoned after King Izunia took the throne. None dared to venture there, saying it was now cursed.

A cold wind blew through the empty chamber, ruffling the dress of the body that lay upon the alter before the air fell still once more. Slowly the young woman’s eyes opened before she rose off the alter, life breathed into her body once more. A soft kwee! caught her attention, causing the young woman to face the black chocobo that limped toward her; nuzzling her face with it’s massive head.

Gently guiding the large fowl, the two exited the temple; looking for the one who had saved them.

[panthera-tigress-infernis-blog]

Heaven’s Light

He was but a young boy, not even on the cusp of true manhood, when the Six called upon him. First heir to the Lucian throne, and brother to a boy twice below his age. It had all happened rather suddenly. The Crystal that had been held aloft by sturdy ropes within the throne room had begun to glow. Its light was warm, pleasant, even inviting. The eldest prince had stepped toward the heavenly glow, unaware of what was to come; blissfully ignorant of the enormous responsibility that the Gods were thrusting upon him. The elder son of the first king was suddenly engulfed, and before him, stood the Draconian. His impervious, blue and gold armor shone brightly with the same, ethereal glow that had emanated from the crystal,

“O’ blood royal,” He bellowed, his monstrous voice nearly deafening the small lad, “It is time for you to go forth unto battle,”

“Battle?” The child’s voice was barely even a whisper, “I am but a child, sir. I cannot fight.”

The Draconian’s cobalt eyes stared down at the boy that stood in his armor-clad palm, “It is not a physical battle, child,” He began, “It is one of spiritual origin.  Your kind are being overtaken by a terrible sickness. One that is caused by the very daemons that terrorize your homes.” A moment of silence passed,

“Why do you need my help, pray tell?” The boy finally inquired, his golden eyes staring up at the old God, “Can’t you do it without me?”

“No, child,” the gargantuan warrior responded, “We cannot aid your people, for we do not have the power to vanquish the foul beasts that plague the lands.” A bittersweet smile had appeared beneath the Draconian’s helmet, “Only you can rid this world of darkness.”

“Only I?” His face lit up, *I can do what the Gods cannot?* “O’ great Draconian,” he spoke to the holy figure with a puffed out chest, “I shall do what is asked of me. I shall heal the people of my home- nay, of the world. I swear to thee that I shall rid the people of this plight!”

“We trust in thee, O’ prince of Lucis.” The Draconian rumbled as the light began to swallow him, “Keep thy vows, and heal thy people, Ardyn Lucis Caelum.”

He had awoken from his meeting with the elder God, and found himself in his bed, surrounded by his family. He had told of what had happened,

“Papa,” he piped, “I met the Draconian! He says I have the gift of healing!”  The sudden frown that had down turned his father’s lips, and the tears that began to streak down his face, should have been a warning to the unwary child. However, the weight was not felt until his eighteenth birthday.

So many times out there, I've watched a happy pair of lovers walking in the night. They had a kind of glow around them It almost looked like heaven's light.

He was never allowed to leave the castle walls since his encounter with the Draconian; a foul mistake that his father had made out of fear.  Whenever the youth found himself unable to sleep, he would go out onto his balcony, and gaze at the people down below. Men, women, children, all living their happy lives like he had once lived his. To the prince, they all seemed to glow with a warmth that rivaled the sun itself.  Deep within him, something stirred; something dark that clawed at his heart.

What is this feeling? He placed a hand to his chest as he searched for a meaning to the sinking feeling in his soul. However, there was no answer.

“You should be in bed, brother,” a low voice whispered. There was a somewhat-noticeable air of bitterness to the words.

The healer-king to be looked over his shoulder to see his younger sibling standing behind him, “I am well aware, Izunia,” he replied smoothly, “Alas, I cannot sleep.”

“Perhaps some tea will relax you,” the suggestion had come rather suddenly, “I had one of the servants make some. Would you like a cup?”

“Such a tempting offer,” He replied as he turned away from the street below, “But, I am afraid that I must decline. I shall retire for the night. Sweet dreams, little brother.” He had walked passed Izunia, and headed for his bed, where he would be undisturbed for the remainder of the night.

I knew I'd never know that warm and loving glow, Though I might wish with all my might No face as hideous as my face was ever meant for heaven's light.

His face was hidden by the hood of his mantle, and the collar of his tunic, preventing all from seeing his supposedly holy face. He had been instructed to keep his visage out of sight, even if those in need wished to thank him. Deep within his heart, lay a bitter hatred for such a stifling rule. However, he had made no attempt to mention it to his escorts. Gilgamesh, his shield, always stood near him, keeping the enamored masses out of the healer-king’s path.  The young king had been summoned by a wealthy family in a fishing village near Wennath River. Their daughter had fallen ill with what they claimed was an unknown disease, and they begged him to heal her.

He and his retinue had arrived just after sunset, and began preparing for the ritual as soon as they had dismounted their worn, black steeds. The healer-king had entered their house, and entered the daughter’s bedroom,

“Good day to you, little one,” he greeted her warmly, as he had done to those he had healed in his homeland. He felt his heart break when he saw the weakness in her dull, green eyes. To see a child in such a dire state was a new ordeal for him to overcome. He strode over to her bedside, and sat upon a wicker chair. He carefully took one of her pale hands,

“Do you know why I have come?”

“Mommy and daddy said that you were going to help me, your Highness,” The girl’s voice was weak; just barely a whisper.

“And help you I shall, my child,” he crooned. He scooted closer to her, and pressed his forehead to hers. Like water flowing through a stream, the holy words poured out of his mouth, “Blessed stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness’ blight.” A soft light filled the room, ridding the child of the hideous, black splotches that dotted her flesh,

“Your daughter has been saved,” he informed the parents calmly, “However, she is to stay on bed rest for three days.”  He and his entourage had stayed at the village that night. However, the selfless man had stayed by the child’s bedside, watching over her like a shepherd over his flock.  So far, things had been remarkably easy for him, but things would soon change. At dawn, he and his men departed, and headed toward the area of Longwythe, where an entire village was said to host the selfsame affliction that the child had been cured of.

But suddenly an angel has smiled at me, and kissed my cheek without a trace of fright.

They had been in Longwythe for several days, tending to the ill village from sunrise to sunset.  His retainers had tried to aid him, but it was the holy King himself that had done most of the work. Cleaning linens, changing bandages, and administering potions. The work had the poor soul exhausted by the time the moon had risen. However, that did not stop him from visiting with a young maiden whenever he had the time. She had lived in a house along the outskirts of the village. It was a rather crude home, almost as though it were built by a nomad. It had a straw roof, and clay walls,

“Eliza,” Ardyn had called softly into the bedroom, “How do you fare?”

“I fare well. Though, this blasted fever will not leave me be,” Her response was filled with irritability.

“I know, dear,” he crooned as he placed a cool, damp rag onto her forehead, “You must have patience. It will take quite a while for the illness to leave you.”  He would not admit it, but he found himself charmed by her. He would often find himself laughing at her jokes, and he had even caught himself staring into her deep, heaven-hued eyes, and shivering at her sweet, gentle voice. However, the people that she lived among had deemed her mad for her strange lifestyle; she was a headstrong warrior who helped to defend the village; a role that, to most, was exclusively for the men,

“Here, drink,” He held a cup of water to her parched lips, “You need to keep your fluids up.”

He had cared for her for nearly a week before she could even stand on her own. Even then, she was still very weak; he even thought that the Six were going to take her. Regardless, she had managed to survive. After the seventh day, the healing troupe had gathered their items, and were ready to head back to Insomnia. The prince had strapped on his bird’s saddle when Eliza approached,

“I thank you for your aid, your Highness,” she said as she watched the king-to-be load his saddle bags.

“There is no need to thank me, dear one,” he responded, “I was merely doing my job.” He hadn’t noticed her sudden approach until he felt soft lips graze his cheek in a chaste kiss.  He could feel his face heat up as though he were standing before Ifrit’s flame,

“What....what was that for, pray tell?” He turned his cognac gaze to her, his cheeks still burning bright red, like freshly forged steel.

“To show my appreciation for you, your Highness,” A giggle bubbled forth from her lips, “Do not tell me that you have never been kissed before,”

Before he had a chance to respond, his shield had called out to him, “Your Highness, we must leave at once if we are to return home before nightfall.”

“Right,” he sighed and mounted his chocobo, “Fare thee well, fair maiden.”

“Safe travels, your Highness.” She smiled bittersweetly, “And do write me when you get home, won’t you?”

Without a response, Ardyn and his men rode off toward Insomnia, unaware of the darkness that loomed on the horizon.

I dare to dream that she might even care for me And as I ring these bells tonight My cold dark tower seems so bright I swear it must be Heaven's light.

The sun had sunk beneath the horizon line when they had returned to the ever-bustling Crown City. The stars that had begun to appear shone brighter that they had done a mere night ago. At first, he had given credit to the Six,

“They have guided our way,” he had said with utmost certainty, “I shall go to the altar and give them my thanks.”

“Allow me to accompany you, your Highness,” Gilgamesh ordered in his usual, gruff manner, “I shan’t let you go alone.”

The healer-king had agreed with an understanding nod, “As you wish.”  He rode his trusty steed to the nearby cathedral, wherein he began his trek to the shrine within.  The halls were dark, and sparsely lit by candle light. Each dancing flame trembled as the two men passed them by. Climbing a long, spiraling staircase, they came upon the old, wooden door that led to the extravagant shrine,

“Gilgamesh, will you wait for me here?” The order came gently, as though he were speaking too a lamb.

“Of course, your Highness.” the shield replied, “I shall keep watch here until you return.”

“Thank you, my friend,” The Chosen King carefully pulled the heavy door open, and stepped into the small room. He closed the door behind him, and lit a stick of incense as an offering to the Six. The small flames that lit the room revealed the massive, gold etching upon the walls. It was of the Six, fighting an unidentifiable force. Around that, were a vast array of paintings that depicted the prophecy; the King of Light, dispelling the darkness. Silently, he knelt before the altar, and clasped his hands in prayer,

“O’ great redeemers,” He began, “I come to you to offer my thanks. My men and I would not have made it home safely, had it not been for the stars you had placed in the heavens. I thank you for every day you have given us, and I thank you for the bountiful harvest we shall no doubt consume in our home.” He paused for a moment as the memory of Eliza invaded his mind,

“If I may, I have something to ask of you,” the prince finally spoke up once again, “Please, let Eliza recover from the scourge that I hath removed in your name, and I ask that you forgive her, for she knows not what she does.” He slowly rose from the floor, and turned to leave, feeling a light, warm breeze brush passed his face; there was no opening in the walls. The King-to-be exited the shrine, and descended the spiral stairs with his trusted shield. The two remounted their avian allies, and returned to the great, stone castle. There, his aging father had greeted them with open arms,

“Good evening to you both!” He had rumbled, “Come! The others are waiting for you in the dining hall.”

The prince had followed unquestioningly until he had noticed a small detail, “Father, where is Izunia?”

The King sighed, “He was feeling a tad under the weather, so he retired early.”

“Without supper?” How queer... The three of them entered the vast dining hall to see that nearly every seat was filled. People of varying occupation sat before a rather large banquet. Servants, knights, gardeners, and even maids were all sitting together, and enjoying their food. At the head of the table, sat his mother; a fair-skinned, blond-haired woman who was often very sickly. The two empty seats closest to her were for her husband and elder son; both of which had eagerly taken their seats.

Soon, every soul in the castle had bid one another goodnight, and had gone to bed.  The prince, however, did not. He stood out on the balcony, looking out over the remaining people on the streets below as he had done three nights ago. He could still see the warm, heavenly glow that danced among the families and couples. However, the doleful sensation that had once clawed at him had not come. Instead, a feeling of warmth radiated throughout his chest as the bells in the nearby clock tower announced the time,

Eliza, I thank you for showing me love when everyone else could not. He sight blissfully as he turned away from the street and headed inside, May the gods watch over thee. He crawled into bed, closed his eyes, and fell into slumber; dreaming of the woman who had stolen his heart.

[patricksilvrrozartistry]

Current Music Obsessions: February 1 - 14, 2017

I know I'm a bit late for the first post for this month, but I've been doing a lot of other things that have been keeping me distracted from doing so. BUT NO MATTER, let's get into my obsessions for the first two week of February!

Starting out with the honorable mentions.

Voices from the Fuelsage - Meteorites Sirenia - Playing with Fire Sirenia - Fifth Column One Desire - Hurt The Unknown - Lullabies Hell City - Victorious Anthology - Labyrinth of Evil Helioss - Santhara Sacred Groove - Waiting for the Rain Distorted Harmony - Natural Selection Last Leaf Down - The Theme Sleep of Monsters - Poison King Eveline - All Against Me Cinnamun Beloved - Another Day William Control - Mother Superior The Hourglass - Magdalene The Hardkiss - In Love Red Queen - Insidious

Now it's time for the main obsessions, and I've got quite a few.

1. Jonathan Young - Phantom of the Opera feat. Malinda Kathleen Reese

I talked about this guy not too long ago and decided to check out more of his covers and came across this EPIC cover. BRUH. I've heard some really good covers of The Phantom of the Opera, and I think this one is my favorite! HOW DID HE MANAGE TO OUTDO NIGHTWISH'S LIVE PERFORMANCE OF THIS??? I have no clue, but what I do know is that he KILLED IT!

2. Tarja - The Shadow Self

I noticed that I had been listening to a lot of the songs from The Shadow Self album, so I couldn't just list like 5 different songs off it. The Shadow Self is definitely my favorite from Tarja's double album and is also one of my top 20 favorite albums of 2016 (the video(s) will be coming soon). It's so beautiful and dramatic. I never listened to Colours if the Dark so I can't say if it outdid it, but it sure as hell outdid her other releases! If you're considering listening to the double album, DEFINITELY listen to this one! More specifically, listen to Demons in You (feat. Alissa White-Gluz), Diva, Undertaker, Calling from the Wild and ESPECIALLY Too Many.

3. Plugs of Apocalypse - Tears feat. Sarah Moon

I've known of these guys for a hot minute, but only knew of their song Erictho featuring Veronica and Tommaso from Fleshgod Apocalypse. I think I started following them on IG and they had a link to a new song/video and decided to give it a listen and fell in love. This song is absolutely gorgeous. I never expected to hear something like this from this band, EVER. It's so peaceful, yet heavy, and I love it so much!

4. Graveshadow - Blood and Fire

I'm pretty sure I talked about these guys last month, so I'm not going to introduce them. But I decided to listen to more after hearing the first song since that song showed more dimensions to Heather's voice than most of her songs with Helion Prime did, so I wondered if there were more that I didn't knew existed. I'm so glad I decided to check out another song of theirs, because this song is so gorgeous and epic that I can't handle it! SO GOOD!

5. Constraint - Enlightened by Darkness

I decided to give this symphonic metal band a listen because the lead singer of this band is the female singer of Chocobo Band (a Final Fantasy tribute metal band) and I must say, this song is really great. It's a bit heavier and it's the first time I've heard a lot of variation in Beatrice's voice. I'm definitely going to look into more from these guys.

6. Beyond the Black - Shine and Shade

This is a song that I rekindled my love for randomly one day. Beyond the Black are a symphonic power metal band that I discovered about a year ago. This song is probably my favorite off the Lost in Forever album. It has everything you want from a symphonic power metal band: a female singer with an enchanting and powerful voice, growls that don't ruin the fantasy vibe and choirs that are too cinematic for the sound. It's such a fun song to jam out to and it's pretty catchy. HIGHLY recommend this one!

7. The Murder of My Sweet - Loud as a Whisper

The Murder of My Sweet has always been a band that I haven't heard a bad song from. Given that, I haven't listened to a full length album of theirs yet, but I do plan on listening to their new release which this song is from. It's a simple song, but there's something to it that's just absolutely wonderful.

8. Theatres des Vampires - Autumn Leaves

Candyland is definitely a different album for Theatres des Vampires. Riff wise, it's more aggressive. But when it comes to Sonya's singing, it's way more beautiful than Moonlight Waltz. It's not a dark album, but more of an emotional one, which is pretty different for them. It also doesn't have a strong vampire theme to it like ALL of their past releases have had, so it definitely throws you off a bit. The only strong vampire theme to this album is definitely the looks of the band members. ANYWAYS, this song has to be one of the prettiest songs off the album. So haunting and so beautiful. I always love it when Sonya sings beautifully and less dramatically, but I still absolutely love her unique voice and wouldn't trade it for nothing.

9. Xandria - Call of Destiny

After hearing We are Murderers, I was under the impression that Xandria were going in a much more aggressive direction, but this song here says that they might be just experimenting with it. This song is kind of bland and typical, but the bridge and the catchiness of this song are what truly makes it great. Also, RETURN OF THE ANIMATED FACIAL EXPRESSIONS!!! I LOVE seeing Dianne perform. It's so fun and entertaining. I want to see them live again!

10. Linda Leen - Who is in Charge

I randomly came across this song in the recommended videos on YT and quickly got into it. It has such a groovy feel to it and has a powerful lyrics. But the thing that threw me off a bit was that this song was recommended while I was listening to djent one day and this song is NOT djent, it's not even metal. It's more like pop-rock. I really want to check out more from her, so if you have any recommendations, send them my way!

11. Headstrong - Tears feat. Stine Grove

I came across this song on Facebook one day and immediately fell in love with it. It's such a beautiful song. So peaceful, slow and haunting. The singer's voice is just absolutely beautiful and truly makes you feel things. If you're into ambient piano type of songs, definitely give this a listen.

12. The White Swan - Jet

Mercedes Lander (Kittie's drummer) is in a new doomy sludge/synth rock band and I am so excited about this project. I wish I would've learned about them sooner so that their EP could've had a chance to make it onto my top 10 favorite EP's list, but no matter, I'm still gonna listen to it. ANYWAYS, this song is sludgey and slightly psychedelic and I am in LOVE with it. Mercedes has such a pretty voice and I can't wait to listen to more from this band!

13. Cyclocosmia - Immured Part II

This is the first single Cyclocosmia released featuring their new front woman and I was excited to hear what new dimensions she would bring to their progressive, symphonic doom metal sound. In the beginning of the song, I was a bit turned off because her voice is so unique and unlike anything I've ever heard, so I had to adjust to it. But when that chorus kicked in and she started screaming, my party tit jumped off my body and began dancing on the floor. LISTEN TO THIS SONG IMMEDIATELY.

14. Betraying the Martyrs - Let it Go

I was trying to find the next song on my list and came across this one while looking for it and rekindled my love for it. I HATE the original. The singer has this EXTREMELY annoying voice and I can't stand it, but this is very tollerable. I love the expressions the vocalist makes throughout the video and I LOVE the last grunt he gives right at the end. Just yes. Love it.

15. Thy Art is Murder - Fur and Claw

This is song that I've known of for a hot minute, but randomly got stuck in my head a few weeks ago. It's metalcore, and I know I've said that I'm not that big into it, but it's starting to grow on me bit by bit. This song just has such an epic feel to it and the chorus and the bit after it is EVERTHING.

16. Starset - Satellite

Starset is a band that I randomly discovered a couple months ago, and so far, I'm really liking them. They're a cinematic rock group that has some pretty strong electronic elements to them, but not so much that it's trancy or synthrocky. I'm more than likely going to listen to their new album, Vessels, soon, because this song is so good! There's this chill atmosphere to it that I just absolutely LOVE and can't get enough of. HIGHLY recommend it!

17. Rob.b - What's Your Lyfe Lyke?

I decided to give Rob.b's new album a listen and it's pretty good. 701 and this song are my favorites off it. This song just has this epic beat and pacing that it gets me pumped up and moving. His voice is just as sexy as he looks and I just can't handle it! If you're looking for a gay rapper, definitely give Rob.b a listen!

18. Dark Sarah - Ash Grove

The Puzzle is such an epic album. So epic that you can't simply pick a favorite. All the songs are of stand out quality, and this song is definitely one of the biggest ones for me. It's just so beautiful and dramatic (and we all know how I am about dramatic songs). If you ever get the chance to listen to The Puzzle, DO IT.

19. The Autist - The Sanctuary feat. Polina Psycheya and Alina Lesnik

I've talked about The Autist quite a few times now, and this is hands down the most epic track they have released so far. The music video is so gorgeous and Alina looks absolutely STUNNING. Alina and Polina's voices go so well together and it's absolutely AMAZING. I LOVE the doomy nature to this song. It gives a new dimension to this band that I haven't experienced yet and I'm loving it! I can't wait for The Coldest Sun to be released. All these singles are hyping it up so much that I can't stand it!

That's all I got for these past two weeks! I REALLY need to purge my watch later list so that way I won't overload it once I get to listening to new releases from this year. Hope you guys enjoy these!

[siren-dragon]

Long Live the King - (Ardyn Izunia x Reader) Ch.8

At last, I’ve finished it! Now, I’m going to take this time to thank everyone who read/liked/reblooged this story, as this is pretty much the end. Also a big thank you again to @maty-yami, she has been a huge help writing this and I am so glad you gave me this prompt request. Now then, let’s proceed with the story

You quickly bolted through the desolate corridors of the Citadel, taking a moment to glance backward for any sight of your pursuer before swiftly changing direction. He was fast, but you could elude him; you had to. Taking another left you sprinted toward the Royal Garden for a place to hide but it was too late. A heavy weight fell against your back, causing you to trip until a strong hand grabbed hold of your arm, preventing you from face-planting into the grass beneath your feet.

“We got her Papa! We caught Mama!” came the delighted squeal of your son.

“We most certainly did, Ausel.” Ardyn replied, the laughter evident in his voice.

You huffed in mock anger despite the smile you were fighting to show. “Wrapping is cheating.”

“All is fair in love and war, my dear.”

“Yeah Mama, we used our rez-sore-ceses.”

You raised an eyebrow, “Is that so? Then I suppose I am able to use my secret weapon: the tickle monster!”

Ausel screamed for joy as your hands began to dance across his stomach, making both you laugh. Though you soon shouted in alarm as Ardyn’s arms wrapped around you both as he spun the two of you in circles. He laughed as the two of you tried to attack him, successfully toppling him onto the grass.

It often surprised you how time seemed to slow to a crawl in times of peril, yet race by in an instant in moments of joy. The past 10 years flew by faster than an enraged Zu, causing your beloved son to grow into a handsome young boy, with him inheriting Ardyn’s wild magenta hair and your (e.c) eyes. He looked so much like his deceased brother that you often wondered if he had lived, would your sweet Sitael have been so care-free? Ausel had once asked you about his older brother; wondering where he had gone.

“Your brother had died when he was very young,” you had answered, brushing his thick red hair.

Ausel cocked his head to the side curiously. “Do you and Papa still miss him?”

“Yes, we do.” You replied before smiling, “but even though he is no longer here, we still love him very much. Just as we do you, Ausel.”

“Do you think he would have liked playing Glaives and MT’s with me?” Ausel grinned. “Most definitely,” you laughed.

The days you spent with Ardyn and Ausel were the happiest of your life, regardless of the daemon-infested world that lay beyond the walls of the Citadel. You didn’t think it safe to travel to Insomnia after the events of the Treaty-Signing and the increase of daemons, but Ardyn swore no harm would befall you or Ausel so long as there was breath in his body. And so, the three of you remained within the Citadel, locked within your own little wonderland while the outside world fell apart.

Though thoughts of your friends did cross your mind; making you wonder if Prompto, Gladio, Ignis, and Cor were doing. Or if they were even still alive. You did regret not telling them the truth of your identity, but it was a regret you had to live with.

“Come on Mama! We’re playing hide-and-seek and Papa is it!”

But sitting here with your family was more than enough for you.

“The light waxes full…Return to thy kingdom where the Usurper awaits….”

Blue eyes opened once more within the darkened stone prison as the King of Light stood tall, returning at last. “The time has come.”

You sat upon the stone bench amongst the flowers of the Royal Garden, playing your ocarina as you had so many years ago. The artificial light did little to help the plant life grow, but it was enough to sustain sustenance for your family and a few of your favorite flowers. Ardyn sat beside you with Ausel within his arms, the younger male’s head laying limply against his father’s shoulder as he slept. You watched as Ardyn stroked your child’s hair gently, a proud smile splayed across his lips.

“He has grown so quickly,” Ardyn whispered.

You smiled, “yes, he has. Time flew by fast…”

“To fast for my tas-“Ardyn froze, his head turning as if trying to listen to a faint whisper.

“Ardyn? Are you alright?”

Ardyn’s expression instantly turned from one of joy to one of sorrow and anger. His grip upon Ausel tightened slightly as he lowered his head, masking his face behind his messy wine-colored hair. You frowned, placing a gentle hand upon his elbow; concerned with his sudden change of mood. “What is it my love?”

“….He is coming.” Ardyn answered.

There was no need for any explanations, as you already knew who the individual in question was. You bit your lip as dread began to fill your body and sorrow fell upon you like a dark cloud. Then…it was over. The last grain of sand had finally fallen from the hourglass, showing your time was done. Tears began to fall from your eyes as Ardyn gently cupped your cheek, wiping away the tracks that stained your face. “Do not waste your tears on me, (f/n); I have caused you enough pain already.”

“You will always be worth my tears, Ardyn,” you smiled. “When will he arrive?”

“Soon…very soon.”

You nodded, turning your gaze to the sylleblossoms that sat a few feet away. “Ardyn I- “

“Will you play for me?” Ardyn spoke, causing you to face him once more. “Just…just for a moment.”

“….Of course, my love.” You replied before raising the ocarina to your lips once more, allowing the sweet music to soothe your turbulent emotions. Perhaps it was best to leave somethings unspoken…

“Well fellas, we’re homeward bound at last. Time to suit up.”

“Finally get to rock these threads,” Prompto grinned.

“Wear them with pride.”

“Yeah, just hope they still fit,” Noctis spoke. “Though…there’s something I wanted to tell you all.”

“Hmm? What’s up Noct?”

“….It’s about (f/n).”

“Papa, will you tell me a story?” Ausel asked, hugging his black chocobo plush to his chest.

“Is there a specific one you wish to hear? You’ve quite a collection of books to choose from.”

Ausel shook his head, “no Papa; I’ve already heard those ones. Something new please!”

Ardyn raised an eyebrow at the request while you laughed under your breath.

“You are certainly your mother’s child. Very well then, I believe I have a story in mind. An old tale, long forgotten by the people of the world, but one that is as true as the air we breathe….”

“Now what is that phrase, ah yes;” Ardyn continued, a sly smirk on his face. “Once upon a time in a faraway land there lived a young King. This King was very kind and loved by all his people, always protecting them from daemons and ruling with a firm yet gentle hand.”

“But the King was lonely, for he had no one to stand alongside him to rule the kingdom. Then one day, while walking through his garden he heard the soft sound of music. Following the music he came upon a beautiful nymph that lived within the garden-“

“Was she really pretty?” Ausel interrupted.

Ardyn glanced toward you and smiled, “oh yes, very beautiful” He replied, causing a slight blush to color your cheeks.

“The King approached the nymph and said, ‘you play so wonderfully, my dear. Will you please play for me once more?’ The nymph was surprised by the King’s presence, but agreed to his request. So, every evening when the moon was at its highest, the King would return to his garden and listen to the nymph’s sweet melodies. And as the days passed by, the two soon fell in love.”

“However, the King’s brother was jealous of his sibling’s good fortune and wished to have the throne for himself. So, he asked the gods to bestow their blessing upon him and soon his prayers were answered. The gods turned upon the King and cursed him to wander alone in darkness for all eternity before imprisoning the nymph; never to be reunited with her beloved.”

“That’s horrible!” Ausel exclaimed.

“It certainly is,” Ardyn nodded in agreement. “For years the King was lost in the shadows, now spiteful and cruel from the experience.…And becoming the very monsters, he fought to protect his people from. But one of the gods felt sympathy for the disgraced King and believed even he deserved happiness. And so, the god released the nymph from her imprisonment and let her return to the King. But time had not been kind to the King and was not the man he once was and hurt his beloved nymph.”

Ausel gasped, “why would he do that? Was it because of the daemons?”

“No Ausel, there was no excuse for his actions. He was cruel and hurtful to her, deserving none of her affection; yet the nymph remained. She took hold of his hands and simply smiled, promising to stand beside him once more, now and forever.”

“And they lived happily ever after….right?” Ausel yawned, leaning against the soft pillows of the bed.

Ardyn smiled sadly, running a hand across his son’s hair. “Yes…they did.”

You slowly stood and wrapped your arms around Ardyn, burying your face against his coat and inhaling the scent of sandalwood. “We will both stay, until the end.”

“Home sweet home,” Gladio spoke, summoning his large claymore.

“At long last.”

“Next stop, the Citadel.”

“Yeah,” Noctis spoke. “Get ready everyone.”

You stood silently within the throne room alongside your son, waiting for Noctis’ return; your nerves fraying as Noctis and his friends journeyed closer to the Citadel. You knew what was to occur, what Ardyn had to do, yet you still felt a great sadness. How could you simply stand by and watch your love one march to his death?

The doors to the throne room soon opened and you took view of your friends. Ten years had changed them all, for no longer were they young, carefree adventurers; but hardened warriors. “I’m afraid you’re out of luck,” Ardyn spoke mockingly. “The throne brings you here? It seats only one.”

“Off my chair jester, the king sits there.”

Ardyn slammed his foot against the marble throne, fists clenched in anger. “Oh Noct…How I have waited for this. Longer than you could ever know….Tonight, the dreams of the blood royal, come to an end!”

“Spite’s all that kept him going,” Gladio huffed.

Prompto sighed, “talk about a grudge.

“Ardyn sit’s the throne?”

“Not for long…this is my Acension.”

You couldn’t help the proud smile that drifted onto your face at Noctis’ words, knowing that the young prince that had saved you in that lake, had grown into a fine King. Ardyn snapped his fingers, allowing his magic to incapacitate the Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto without killing them. There was no need for more casulties, he owed Noctis that much.

“What did you do?!”

“They have no place in this: the battle of kings! Come Noctis.” Ardyn grinned before warping away.

As Noctis walked toward the throne you stepped forward, pulling along your son into the light. “It’s been a long time Noctis.”

He paused, turning to face you and glancing at the child that stood beside you. “So Bahamut spoke the truth….”

“Noctis…I am sorry. I am sorry that I lied to all of you.”

“There is nothing to be sorry for (f/n), I...I know what happened. And…I am glad you were able to stand beside him.” Noctis smiled. “I am afraid I must go now….”

“Do not worry, I will look after them,” you said, nodding to Noctis’ fallen comrades.

“…Thank you (f/n).” And without another word, he warped away to battle.

You walked toward the unconscious men and slowly began to rouse them from their sleep. After several minutes, all three of them groaned in pain before turning their eyes to you. “(f/n)!” Prompto exclaimed happily. “Hello Prompto, it is good to see you all once more. But I’m afraid we have more pressing matters to attend to. Follow me.”

When you all arrived at the battle, only Noctis remained. You felt tears fall from your eyes and blend with the rain that fell. Ausel clung tightly to your hand and you knelt down to embrace your son, both of you mourning the loss of your Fallen King. Noctis came to crouch beside you, a look of sympathy on his face,

“I am sorry, (f/n).”

“No, it is alright Noctis. It was not your fault,” you sniffed.

“But…I do have a request.” Noctis spoke, “Ignis, Gladio, Prompto…will you please protect these two. After all, a kingdom needs it’s king.”

“With all our strength,” Gladio nodded.

Noctis turned to Ausel, bowing respectfully. “Take care, your Majesty.”

Ausel smiled before returning the bow. “You as well, your Majesty.”

The five of you watched Noctis climb the steps of the Citadel for the final time before the groaning of Iron Giants appeared behind you. Immediately you placed your son behind you, summoning your bow while the other’s conjured their weapons. Though soon a light appeared above you all as a loud explosion echoed across the city, before you knew no more….

Opening your eyes, you gazed upon the sunlit sky, the wind blowing the grass you laid upon. Sitting up you looked to see yourself within a flower covered meadow, the peaceful scenery a shocking difference from the darkness covered Insomnia you had lived in.

“….(f/n),” a deep voice spoke from behind.

Spinning around you smiled, rushing toward Ardyn and wrapping your arms around him. But slowly you let your arms fall, “this is goodbye, isn’t it?”

He nodded, “yes…it is.”

“I will miss you…”

Ardyn smiled, placing his fedora upon your head, “I will be waiting for you....now, and forever.”

You felt the meadow slowly fade away as you kissed your beloved one final time, “I love you.”

“And I you, my brave, little nymph….take care of our son….”

You watched Ardyn disappear and felt yourself pulled back to the land of the living, knowing that you will see him once more….

15 years later:

You watched as the palace servants rushed about the Citadel, some occasionally stopping to ask for your preference on flowers or what tableware should be used. It was rather humorous to see them in such a panicked frenzied and you couldn’t help but laugh. After all, a coronation only came so often.

“Hey (f/n), good morning!” Prompto grinned at you.

“Good morning to you as well, Ambassador Argentum.”

Prompto groaned, “aw come on (f/n), don’t start that again. I hear enough of it when I’m in Niflheim.”

You laughed, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. How are things over in Gralea?”

“Great, thanks to Aranea. She’s been a big help with the MT Rehabilitation, though it’s nice to be somewhere with no snow.” Prompto spoke, “though Aranea said she’ll be arriving later, eager to give the little rascal one last hair-ruffle. Speaking of which, where is the soon-to-be king?”

“Likely dodging Ignis to avoid his fitting.” You answered with a laugh.

“Ah, there you are (f/n), I was wondering if you’ve seen your son of late.” Ignis spoke, appearing behind the two of you.

“Is he avoiding you again Iggy?” Prompto asked.

“Well we can’t very well have a coronation without a prince,” Ignis chuckled.

You lay a supportive hand upon Ignis elbow, “I believe I know where he is and I will send him your way Ignis.”

“Thank you (f/n), and good luck.”

You walked down the corridors toward the Royal Garden, the sunlight making it look almost ethereal. Walking beside the lake you smiled at the sight of a familiar head of magenta hair that was tied into a messy ponytail. Slowly you approached the figure and leaned to his ear before yelling, “CAW Kids! It’s Kenny Crow!”

“Dear Ifrit!” your son exclaimed, frowning at your laughter. “Very funny, Mom.”

“I am sorry, I couldn’t resist.” You smiled, taking a seat beside him, “I thought I’d find you here. Hiding from Ignis again?”

“No…maybe,” Ausel sighed. “I just wanted to have a moment alone is all.”

You hummed in acknowledgement, “something on your mind?”

“I just…I wonder what he would say, seeing me here….Do you think he would be proud?”

You watched your now fully-grown son, almost a carbon-copy of his father and smiled. Gently you removed the fedora that sat upon your head, the black material old and faded, though still you wore it like a crown. “You are his son, he will always be proud of you Ausel; as am I,” you answered, placing the fedora atop his head. “I think it would look best on you now, don’t you think?”

Ausel stared at you in surprise before pulling you into an embrace. “Thank you, Mom, and…I love you.”

“I love you too, my dear. Now, time to get you ready before Ignis sends the Crownsguard after you.”

And as you later stood amongst the VIP guests as your son knelt a top the Citadel’s front steps to be crowned king in front of all Insomnia, you felt your heart burst with joy. Cor nodded to the young king before gesturing to your son and exclaiming; “All hail King Ausel Lucis Caelum, 115th King of Lucis! Long live the King!”

“LONG LIVE THE KING!”

And for a moment, you could have sworn you heard Ardyn’s voice whisper in your ear, “Well done, my love.”

Tada! That is the end of this chapter. There is only one more left, so stay tuned for the ending! ^_^