#this man is just as tactical as iggy

[samarecharm]

ann and gladio for the character meme? :D

I already did ann! So i will use this opportunity to scream about Gladio my beloved

Ffxv is a blessing and a curse bc it gives u Guys and DIFFERENT kinds of Guys and then does not let u do anything w these guys :( theres so many little details they add in the game for these guys during combat, even the animations they have for certain things like reviving each other or eating together is sooooooo good. It literally has me craving more but theres not ENOUGH!!!!

Gladio has so many little things about him….hes a bit of a soft and old soul, hes dedicated to his work and that comes above all else. It just so happens his Work is protecting Noct and co so like, hes very VERY protective of them. Hes rough w the way he teaches and its not without reason; the game very quickly shows whats at stake outside of the safety of Insomnia. Hes stern in a way that doesnt come off as belittling or scary; he gets angry quick but is also a bit of a jokester. Hes smart. Hes tactical. Hes versatile. Hes whatever u need him to be in a given situation (good and bad :) ) Grief manifests as him clamming up (news of his father) or exploding in anger (ignis going blind). Hes a delicate balance of being the Typical Masc Male Archetype while also being a Tired and Worn Down soul towards the end of the game. Theres something very sad about him being so Grown™️ and only 23.

We joke about that all the time (“squeenix wants u to believe this is what a 23 yr old looks like”) but like he is very young, as young as the rest of his team, and he carries himself like hes 30 and battle hardened. And its insane bc after world of ruin, he is OKAY!!! Hes like even More mellow than he was in his 20s! Like that mentality kind of helped him be more prepared for the grim reality of the future and thats kinda sad! Let him read cheesy romances while iggy drives him across the countryside and let him camp and eat his favorite foods and fish w noct and do morning jogs w prompto like let him have the domestic life he was SO born to live in if he didnt live in a time of war, dedicating his body and soul to the crown 😭

[ao3wasntenough]

WHEN IN DOUBT THROW EVERYTHING OUT THE WINDOW AND HOPE SOMETHING STICKS THE LANDING

Was my philosophy as I was so frustrated at designing human Sunstreaker so I said what will happen happenes, put on punk tactics and drew

✨He✨

I love him so much, the pose! Oh the pose I’m so proud of myself it’s great, it’s just a rough up but I am in love 🥰

I couldn’t decide shorts or squorts cause I was using gen one robot for reference and inspiration, so I leave it up for interpretation

Should he wear thigh high strapped boots for optimal badassery?

Details of Sunstreaker if you don’t wanna read about the au I’ve thrown together

- he’s around the 6’6 range which isn’t uncommon, almost average height

- gets fuzzier and more wolfie with more adrenaline or just cause he’s in a silly goofy mood

- does bite

- has broken a watermelon between his thighs

- I choose to make him wolfy because I loved his helm horns? And their obviously very iconic with him and hair wasn’t working with me so the only option was wolf ears

~ boring au rambling~

So not only did a glorious joke of designing the autobot equivalent of a hooters uniform start but also my spiraling into a hotpot mess of an au, like we’ve got a little bit of everything.

Intergalactic Government baybeeeee

Basically Cybertron is being socially distant and doesn’t want to exactly join in on intergalactic business, but intergalactic management says fine we get it, but don’t care much either way so you must have one intergalactic-gov mandated worker live on world and they send us reports.

Thus Cybertron trying to keep a war lowkey so they don’t get reported and the intergalactic government steps in.

Thus a spanner is thrown into the works when Sam from earth assigned by the IGGIES gets dragged into a chain reaction. Man’s just trying to get his reports sent.

[taizi]

(I feel like I should finish your prompt first but. These ones are so good....feel free to ignore if you have too many asks but 29 or 33 with chocobros...?

PROMPTS LIST

33. “Are you SURE I can’t punch him in the face?” “Yes.” “What if I just break his nose a little?”

ik i just did this one for natsuyuu but...........chocobros

x

They're somewhere in Duscae, near enough to the coast that each breeze carries a hint of the sea, on another errand for another stranger to scrape together enough gil to eat tonight.

They've stopped at the last little roadside cluster of shops before the countryside stretches far and wide and wild, stocking up on what meager supplies they can afford.

Noctis has never lived this way before. He's never gone to bed hungry before. Neither has Gladio or Ignis, for all their world-weariness and the general practical knowledge and common sense they walk around with that far surpasses Noctis' own.

Ignis can budget with the best of them, and Gladio is willing to eat literally anything at any time, but Prompto is the one who gets it.

He chats at length about all the times he's had to get creative with pasta or rice because it was all that was left in his pantry. Back in high school, when he could only work part-time. When someone should have been taking care of him, and instead he was left to figure out how to stretch a tiny budget much farther than made sense.

"Come on, Iggy," he said once when they were out shopping, half-laughing. Like he thought Ignis was joking. "Fresh produce? We've got like a hundred gil between the four of us and we're totally out of restoratives."

And Ignis paused, and glanced sidelong at him. He put back the crisp, flowery vegetables and pulled out his little notebook and asked for suggestions instead. It took Prompto a few minutes to convince himsef that Ignis was taking him seriously, but now they like, bond over canned fruit.

"I'm gonna kill this catoblepas with my bare hands," Gladio says with feeling, leaning against the car. "I'm so godsdamned sick of pasta. Don't tell Iggy I said that."

Noctis rolls an energy drink between his hands absently, brow furrowed. It's tricky business, and he's not very good at it just yet, but home-made elixirs save them a ton of gil. He feels guilty when they have to spend their money on something he should be able to do himself.

"I'm telling him," he says without missing a beat. "He'll never forget, and he'll give you shit every single time you make cup noodles from now on, forever."

"I can't stand you," Gladio tells him seriously.

The bell above the door of the convenience store rings brightly, and Noctis glances up to see Ignis and Prompto walking out looking a lot more cheerful than they did going in.

Gladio's face does something very subtle and specific when he sees them, there and gone in a second, before Noctis can pin it down and figure it out.

"What are you two chucklefucks up to?" he calls over. Ignis immediately narrows a disapproving stare at him, but Prompto beams.

"I got a commission, sort of!" he says.

"A commission?" Noctis parrots, sending the energy drink back to the Armiger.

"Sort of?" Gladio adds.

"While we were checking out, the store-owner saw my camera, and seemed really into it," Prompto says. "Since, you know. It's unique."

Noctis does know. The digital camera hanging at Prompto's side has been with him since Noctis first bought it for him three years ago. He would rebuild it every so often, bowed over a collection of impossibly tiny parts spread out carefully across a dish towel at the kitchen table in Noctis' apartment. To call it unique is a bit of an understatement.

Gladio frowns, sensing where this is going a split-second before Noctis does. "And?"

"And he offered me money for it! Like, more than it's worth probably. A lot more."

"I don't see how that could be possible," Ignis says smoothly, leaning through the open window of the Regalia to put the shopping bag in the backseat. "Since your camera is clearly priceless. Which is what I explained to the man."

Noctis relaxes, glad that Ignis and Prompto have bonded over shopping to the point that neither of them want to do it unless they can go together-- because if Prompto had been in there by himself, he 100% would have sold his camera. He would have hated to do it, but he would have done it. It's like he thinks he owes his friends something just for letting him exist.

"Good looking out, Specs," Gladio says gruffly. Prompto waffles a bit, looking torn between pleased and embarrassed. Noctis decides to rescue him.

"What commission, though?" he asks.

"Oh, right. Well, he was kind of bummed about the camera, but he asked if he could see some of my photos, and Ignis said we had time-- "

If it were literally anyone else, Noctis thinks, up to and including and especially the Actual Crown Prince, Ignis would have said they were in a hurry and not to show off.

"--and he seemed really impressed! With the photos! I told him we were going to take down a catoblepas, and he asked why, and I said for some cash, I mean, clearly," Prompto adds, gesturing at the four of them and their general road grime. "So he, ah-- well he's never seen a catoblepas up close before, and he said if I could get some good pictures of it, he'd pay me for them. He gave me a figure, and it's, like, better than some of the jobs I've done for Vyv."

He's delighted, clearly. He likes feeling like he's pulling his own weight. Noctis is always so relieved when Vyv calls, not because of the inherent payday, but more because it puts this light in Prompto's eyes that Noctis would easily climb a hundred volcanic mountains for.

"Damn, Prompto, at this rate you'll have funded our whole trip," Gladio says. He doesn't ruffle his hair anymore, because Prompto actually hates that, just sort of scrunches his fingers through it instead. Prompto doesn't hate that at all. It's adorable.

Sometimes in the early morning, when he and Noctis are the last to drag themselves out of the tiny camper, they'll do their affirmations together:

"Gotta be our best today," Noctis will say, and Prompto will put on this absurdly determined expression, bed hair hanging into his eyes and cheek still creased pink from the pillow.

"Gotta get those hair scrunches," he'll reply gravely.

"What else did he say, Prompto?" Ignis says in a pleasant tone of voice that Noctis hasn't trusted since he was seven years old.

"Um! Nothing. Nothing worth repeating, anyway, you know." He is looking completely away from them now, an avoidance tactic if Noctis has ever seen one. "Woah, is that really the time? We better get going if we wanna catch that cow before it gets dark!"

He turns toward the car and runs into Gladio's arm instead.

"He suggested that Prompto's talents would be put to better use in different company," Ignis says, his voice carrying clearly over Prompto's whine of 'nooo, Iggy, let it go.' "He said that if Prompto ever got tired of our lifestyle, his door would be open."

Ah, Noctis thinks, followed by, ouch?

"Oh, fuck that guy," Gladio blurts. "Let me go talk to him."

"No!" Prompto clings to his arm, throwing all his weight into keeping Gladio in place. The Shield, who could bench Prom's entire body weight in one hand, lets himself be detained anyway and pretends to be annoyed about it. "Ignis, why are you causing trouble right now?" Prompto says frantically.

"Transparency is important in a relationship," Ignis replies.

"There's transparency and then there's causing trouble. Noct, tell them."

"I think Gladio should go talk to him," Noctis says immediately. But then Prompto looks betrayed, and it makes Noctis feel awful. "Ugh, okay. Okay. We're leaving. Ignis, Gladio, that's an executive order."

"Are you sure I can't punch him in the face?" Gladio grumbles.

"Am I-- yes, dude!" Prompto half-laughs nervously. "Very sure!"

"What if I just broke his nose a little?"

"Then that would be treason, I guess, cause Noct just said no."

It's with the standard amount of bickering and noise that they climb into the car, the top rolling up over their heads as it starts to drizzle. Ignis pulls smoothly back onto the cracked asphalt road and reaches over to turn the radio on; a peace offering. From the backseat, Noctis can see the corner of Prompto's smile, framed by a flyaway piece of yellow hair.

They live this way now, but they didn't always. Noctis used to have the run of the whole Citadel, had his own penthouse apartment, grew up dodging banquets and lavish dinners. It's not like he likes sleeping on the ground and having nothing to eat. It's not like he chose to lose his home.

But it could be worse. It's not a bad way to live, just Noctis and the people he loves best and these countless hours together. There's a lot of hard work and sometimes he goes to bed hungry but he knows he'll remember these days forever. He knows he'll miss them.

"Hey," he says, over the quiet sound of rain on the windows and the catchy synth-pop crooning out of the speakers. "Don't ever sell your camera, okay?"

Prompto says, "I mean, I wouldn't ever want to."

"Seriously," Noctis presses. He doesn't want to let it go. It feels important. "Your pictures are-- they mean the world to me, Prom. I can't even tell you."

His friend looks bewildered. He's half-turned in his seat, and his eyes stray to Gladio, then jump to Ignis, then settle back on Noctis. Whatever he's looking for, he seems to find it, because he smiles.

"Okay, weirdo," he says, "one fully-documented roadtrip, coming up. I won't leave anything out."

Noctis is counting on it.

[soupbabe]

May i request the stardust crusaders with a Hiyakasudere s/o? (a hiyakasudere is who likes to tease others and sometimes flirt with those they like, if you didn't know :D) only if you're comfortable with it though!

Stardust Crusaders w a Flirty! S/O

:0 I only know the basic dere types so I didn't even know something like that existed lmao, it's cool tho!

Jotaro Kujo

He ignored you heavily at first, your flirting only reminding him of his fans back at home

But you made sure to be tactical with it, only making sure you don't harrass and overcrowd him

If you overdo it he might just yell at you or might just think you're doing it as a joke/boredom

Over time, Jotaro got used to your flirtatious nature and didn't mind it all too much since you showed that you had more a brain compared to the fangirls at his school

You thought he didn't like you at all, so you tried getting rid of the crush

You moved on to other people, spending your time flirting with innocent strangers to get your mind off of Jotaro

It accidentally made Joot jealous oh no-

He had to drag you away from one person you were talking to, him telling them to back off and that you're taken

"When was I ever taken?" "Right now. I don't like you flirting with other people."

I always imagine SDC Jotaro confessions being weird/awkward only because he's too afraid to actually say 'i like/love you' lmao. It always leaves you with mild confusion, but general happiness

Noriaki Kakyoin

You flirting and teasing him always made him flustered

But he doesn't it. He's touched starved

Plus you're really cute so like this is a total win for Noriaki

But if it got to be too much he won't hesitate to push you away and stop it or when it's inappropriate to do so

Once he gets used to the attention, he would flirt back occasionally

First time he did it, your flustered expression was priceless

But he makes sure not to overdo it, he likes capturing those moments like it's the first time it's happened

Jean-Pierre Polnareff

Oh you two are absolute menaces to the rest of the crusaders

They always have to listen to you two constantly at it, with friendly competitions on who can come up with the cheesiest pick up line

You two had to stop it after Pol made an especially heinous line and it made Iggy get violent-

But he handles the flirting and teasing well

He soaks up the attention and will encourage you to come up with more

Has a personal challenge to fluster you

It's hard to find the right set of words when the ones you fire back at him make him swoon like some sort of schoolgirl

Muhammad Avdol

He's extremely flattered when you start flirting with him

He's not one to react strongly to those kind of remarks, he knows he's an attractive man and appreciates it when people tell him so

,,,but like don't stop it he enjoys hearing all the creative ways you compliment him

He teases you more

He has a way with words that can make anyone's face heat up

Avdol is the few people that could make you turn shy tbh

He's just so sly with it too??

You once asked him for a tarot reading and he just so happened to pull out The Lovers card

When you ask him about whether or not that was intentional, he keeps an air of mystery. Probably saying that the cards were in his favor or something

I know nothing about tarot I'm so sorry

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter X

The royal retinue reach the courtyard outside the Leville just as the ground beneath their feet began to shake. At the same time, Noctis grabs his head and winces. Images flash through his mind, but he couldn't make sense of them. Shaking his head, the pain and vision subside. Gladio, who was the closest to the prince, noticed his painful expression. "What's wrong?"

"My head just started throbbing," Noctis replied, hiding the details of the vision he witnessed.

"You all right?" Prompto asked worriedly.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"A headache at the exact moment of an earthquake," (Y/n) hummed. "I would say it isn't a coincidence."

"Indeed," Ignis agreed.

"Doesn't matter. It's gone," Noctis said.

They enter the Leville and stand in the lobby to wait for Iris. Gladio crosses his arms, tapping his foot impatiently against the tiled floor. He wasn't sure what was taking his sister so long, but she descended the stairwell a few minutes later.

"Gladdy!" Iris chanted, hurrying down the stairs.

Said boy looked up and smiled at his sister. He was relieved to see she was uninjured and safe from the hell raised by the empire in Insomnia. Although he lost his father, at least he still had his little sister. "Iris."

The young Amicitia glances around at the faces of the boys. She had yet to spot (Y/n) due to being hidden behind Ignis' tall, lithe body. "Look at you guys, holding your own out there."

Prompto smiled with slightly red cheeks. "What can I say? You look good."

"All things considered," Iris exhaled heavily. "You guys are staying here, right?"

"That's the plan," Ignis said, taking a step to the side and revealing the girl hidden behind him.

Iris noticed the fifth member of the group and blinked in surprise. She searched her memory and tried to remember seeing someone as beautiful as her before, but she couldn't recall anyone. She hastily took a few steps towards her, signaling the beginning of a throng of questions. "Who's this? Is she a crownsguard? But that outfit is way too nice." Iris circles (Y/n), examining her appearance closely. Reaching the front, she saw the slitted eyes and gemstone. "Wait, you're a guardian! But I don't remember any of the guys except Ignis having one. Now that I think about, I don't see her here."

Gladio stopped his sister after seeing how uncomfortable (Y/n) was becoming. "Take a breather, Iris. You're freakin' the girl out."

Realizing what she was doing, she gasped and promptly apologized. "I-I'm so sorry. It's just...I've never met someone so beautiful before. If I had, I would definitely remember."

"Oh, um...thank you, Iris," (Y/n) shyly replied.

"Pretty sure you've met (Y/n) before, Iris," Noctis stated. "But you've never seen her human form until now."

"That name..." Iris' voice trailed off before her eyes widened. "You're really (Y/n)? That little bundle of white fur is you?"

She nodded. "Y-Yes."

"Oh, wow. This is... You look amazing!" She praised. "I never imagined you were this pretty. I mean, I imagined you to be a little more than average, but I am blown away!"

The guardian did her best to analyze her appearance. Without a mirror, it was difficult to examine her entire body. She glanced down at her dress before lifting her head. "I really don't see what's so special about me."

"You're kidding, right?" Prompto spoke up. "You didn't notice all those people staring at you when we first got here?"

"And not just here. Wherever we go, people stare at you," Noctis added. "Can't believe you haven't noticed."

That's when (Y/n) started to worry. "Am I drawing too much attention to us? If that's the case, I can always change forms and-"

Gladio held up his and silenced her. "Slow your roll, munchkin. We drive a super fancy car that already sticks out like a sore thumb anywhere we go. With you taggin' along, no one even looks twice at Noct."

Noctis glanced at his shield with a scowl. "Am I supposed to be offended by that?"

"Take it as you will, Highness." Gladio focuses his gaze back on his sister. "Putting all that aside, when you have time we have catching up to do."

Iris nodded. "Sure. I've got time now if you guys do. We can talk in my room." She leads the group of five up the stairs and into one of the many hotel rooms. As they got comfortable, they were joined by an old man and a young boy. Gladio easily recognized the two. "Jared and Talcott! Is it good to see you."

Talcott smiled sweetly as he addressed the member of royalty among them. "Prince Noctis! Iris is safe with me!" You could tell the young boy admired Noctis just by the gleam in his eyes.

Jared patted Talcott on the shoulder, smiling apologetically to the prince. "Please excuse my grandson. He has yet to learn his manners."

Noctis smirked. "I like it."

The older man lowered his head in a slight bow. "Your Highness is very kind, but we shan't impose. A very good night to you, Your Highness." Taking his grandson with him, he left the room so the group could talk. Iris closes the door behind them as they leave before taking a seat alongside the others.

Noctis was a little hesitant to ask, but he wanted to know some details of the invasion. "So Iris, what was it like inside the Crown City?"

Iris winced slightly as she remembered the day of the signing clearly. "Not pretty. The Citadel took a beating. But a lot of outlying neighborhoods made it through in one piece."

Ignis' eyes narrowed as he gazed at the carpet. "The empire had tactical targets in mind."

"If they incapacitated the Citadel from the inside, it would make it difficult for the crownsguard and Kingsglaive to deploy," (Y/n) said.

"Think they had a man on the inside?" Gladio wondered.

"A possibility we cannot dismiss," Ignis stated.

Iris glanced around at the dejected faces of the group. She clasped her hands together in her lap and focused her gaze on Noctis. "You know if there's anything else, you can ask me."

Noctis lifted his head, slightly taken aback. "Yeah, uh, thanks."

"So...about Lady Lunafreya. I keep hearing she was in town. Apparently she left right away, but at least it means she's okay."

The prince wasn't sure how to feel about Lunafreya. He wasn't sure if she was alive or dead and he was worried about her. However, Iris' words did provide a small amount of relief. "Good to hear. Thanks."

Iris then stands, brushing off her skirt. "Yeah, well, get a good night's rest." She then leaves the room.

Ignis stood up as well. "I shall procure rooms for us."

(Y/n) glances at him. "That was plural."

"I shall ensure you get your own personal room, (Y/n). It would be ill-suited for a lady to remain in a room with four men."

She watched him leave the room, blinking in surprise. She uncrossed her legs with a huff. A grin tugged at the corners of Gladio's lips. "You seem disappointed."

"No, just surprised. We had no issues sharing a room in Longwythe or Galdin Quay. What's changed?" She pondered.

"You think it has to do with the fact you spend more time in your human form than your spiritual one now?" Prompto asked.

"Or maybe Iggy wants you to have your own room so he can make a surprise visit to you in the middle of the night," the brute said.

She glowered at him. "Why do you think Iggy would have an ulterior motive?"

Gladio looked away, trying to act innocent. "No reason."

Her eyes scrunched up in an accusing manner. "You know something that I don't."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But it's not my place to tell. Hopefully us guys can snap some sense into his uptight ass and get him to tell you."

(Y/n) wanted to question him further, but held herself back as Ignis returned. She accepted the key he offered her and read the number attached to it before heading to her room. It was only a few doors down from Iris' room. She entered the room and looked around. There was a small couch, a coffee table, and a double bed with a nightstand beside it. It was decent, but she felt lonely. Why had Ignis suddenly wanted her to have her own room? Was it really because she's been spending more time in her human form like Prompto said or was there another possibility?

Her shoulders sank while trudging towards the bed. She sat down on the edge with a huff of frustration at her busy thoughts. She pushed them aside by remembering the intimate moment she shared with Ignis earlier that day. It was nice to be in his arms, a sensation she's enjoyed ever since he first hugged her when he was only five years old. As the years passed, the hugs became scarce in number due to his duties to the crown. He became more prim and proper, meaning casual hugs were deemed inappropriate. She had watched the boy grow into a man, his personality changing from sweet and caring to reserved and stoic.

Of course, he had his moments where he would show her how much he cared about her. Those were few and far between. However, that somewhat changed after they left the city. Even with Noctis as his first priority, his time with her had grown as if they had reverted back to their younger years. It brought a smile to her face, but it quickly vanished. She wanted to be his first priority. Was it a selfish thought? Perhaps.

Hanging her head, she hid her face behind a curtain of (h/c) tresses. She mentally scolded herself for thinking in such a manner. All she wanted was Ignis to love her with all his heart just as she wanted to do the same for him. But there was another thing stopping her-their roles. She was his guardian and he was her master. Was it appropriate for a human and spirit to be together?

That's when her eyes gleamed with hope as she recalled Jasper and Luca. They were clearly in love with each other and are engaged. She lifted her head and glanced out the window, coming to a decision-she would meet Luca tomorrow and discuss how he and Jasper overcame such obstacles or if it was only her self-doubt that prevented her from confessing her feelings.

(Y/n) was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a knock on her door. She went to answer it and saw Prompto was visiting her. Noticing he was alone, she wondered what he wanted. "Is there something I can do for you, Prompto?"

"You're gonna join us for dinner, right?" He asked.

Checking the time on the clock located on the nightstand, she saw it was a few minutes past five. "I didn't realize it was that late already."

Prompto grabbed her hand with a smile. "C'mon, the guys already left to make sure we get a table."

(Y/n) was taken aback at the sudden sensation of his hand on hers. "Prompto, your hand."

He looked down at their connected hands and blushed. He had unconsciously grabbed hers. "S-Sorry..."

She couldn't help but admire how kind and gentle he was. In order to smooth over the situation, she offered him a gentle smile. "It's fine. Let's go."

They left the Leville and headed to Surgate's Beanmine near the main thoroughfare. Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis were sitting at one of the tables and had already ordered for everyone. The eatery was packed and only a couple tables were left vacant. Sitting in between Noctis and Ignis, (Y/n) glances across the table when Gladio kicked her lightly in the foot. "Took your time, munchkin."

"I was thinking about a few things and didn't realize how late it was," she explained.

He took a brief glance at Ignis before looking back at her. "Like what?"

"Luca. I want to help him with his dream project. Spirits could use a good reputation. I also want to warn him about the empire."

"Y'know, all the people I've talked about guardians with adore them," Prompto said. "I can't believe people discriminate against your people, (Y/n)."

She crossed her legs, placing her hands gently in her lap. "I can't even imagine what it's like to be a masterless spirit in a society like this. It must be very difficult for them to live normal lives."

"Oh, yeah. Specs mentioned that rite of annulment," Noctis chimed in.

"I do hope I did not overstep my bounds," Ignis said, glancing toward the girl sitting beside him.

She shook her head. "Not at all. The rite of annulment has been used in both good and bad ways. Guardians have undergone the ritual to escape their abusive masters and humans have used it to get rid of their guardians. If the threat of corruption wasn't high, it's possible the rite wouldn't be so bad."

"What's this corruption you're talkin' about?" Gladio pried.

"Masters act as buffers for guardians when it comes to mana flow. If a guardian cannot control the flow, it builds up in their body and they soon lose themselves. Some spirits have massacred humans in such a state, but most of the time they commit suicide once it's too overbearing. A guardian's risk of corruption goes down if their master is still alive. But once that soul vanishes from Eos, the risk of corruption is extremely high. There are spirits who have learned to cope through the madness to keep their minds intact while others have never suffered from corruption."

"Okay, yeah, none of the books I've read mention any of this..." Prompto mumbled.

"Neither do the vast collections I've perused," Ignis said.

(Y/n) stared down at the table. "Not everything is written down in books or documents. If the rite was vastly known, I fear my people's reputation would be even more soiled."

"Let's just hope Luca doesn't know about it," Gladio stated. "And if he does, he'll leave it out of his book."

Their food arrived as their conversation ended. (Y/n) stared thoughtfully at her serving of bird-broth rice with curry before picking up her spoon to enjoy the meal. She listened to Noctis and Prompto as they exchanged playful banter while eating.

Once everyone was finished, they left the eatery and headed back to the Leville. As they passed through one of the alleyways, a disembodied voice reached (Y/n)'s ears. He body became stiff while listening to it.

Come...of Pneuma... Heed...call... Costlemark...altar...

A strange sensation overtook her body. Feeling a trance consume her mind, she no longer had control of her body. Listening to the voice, she wandered aimlessly down another alleyway and wound up separated from the boys. Unaware of her surroundings, she was heading straight for the road.

As she was about to step off the curb and into the street, the sound of a blaring horn bounced off the buildings, but it didn't snap her out of her trance. It was only when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her to safety before she was hit by a car that caused the trance to fade. The sensation of hands on her cheeks resulted in her to blink a few times. Her vision cleared and all she could see was a pair of familiar emerald eyes behind a pair of glasses. As the faint ringing in her ear ceased and she could hear the sounds of the bustling town, she realized Ignis was her savior and was trying to get her attention.

"(Y/n), can you hear me?" Ignis asked as her slitted pupils narrowed.

She looked around as best as she could and saw Noctis, Gladio, and Prompto standing behind him. "What happened?"

"I was hoping you'd clarify."

"Weren't we on our way back to the Leville?" She asked.

Prompto stepped forward. "You...don't remember what just happened?"

"No."

"You just suddenly walked off. We tried to get your attention, but you weren't listening. You wandered out into the middle of the street and was almost ran over by a car. Luckily Specs saved you before you were flattened," Noctis clarified. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." (Y/n) took a step back when Ignis removed his hands from her cheeks. All she could remember was hearing the voice and then they were standing by the side of the road. "Maybe I just need some more sleep."

"You looked like you were in some kinda trance," Prompto said.

Ignis examines her face and noticed she looked sickly. "You've become pale. Let us make haste back to the hotel."

"Need a piggyback ride, munchkin?" Gladio offered.

She shook her head. "No, I can walk."

Ignis placed an arm around her shoulders and escorted her back to the Leville. He took her to her room and asked her to sit down on the bed. When she did, he kneeled down in front of her and took her gloved hands in his own. "What truly happened tonight, (Y/n)?"

"I-I honestly don't know, Iggy," she answered sincerely. "I heard that voice again and then realized we were standing by the road. I did feel something come over my body, but I don't know what. I'm sorry..."

Ignis raised one of his hands and caressed the back of his fingers against her cheek. "You need not apologize, darling."

She was shocked at hearing the term of endearment, but welcomed it. "I just hope visiting Costlemark will resolve this and put an end to the voice."

He removed his hand from her face and gazed deeply into her sapphire eyes. He loved how they sparkled just like the gemstones in his necklace. It was like getting lost in the ocean. "Will you be all right by yourself tonight?"

"Yes. I'll probably turn in early after a shower."

"If you need me, you know where I'll be. Please, do not hesitate to call upon me."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you. Good night, Iggy."

Previous Chapter || Next Chapter || Masterlist

[cheemerthelizard]

hey cheems! congrats on the 500 followers!! ❤️❤️ can I request some hcs (or a scenario, whatever you feel like writing) of y/n daring the crusaders to eat sour candy? who do you think would survive

This was fun to write, even if it took less than an hour. Thanks for the request!

Jotaro:

-Let’s be honest, he would win.

-He probably eats sour candy all the time at home anyway.

-And even if he didn’t, and the sourness really was getting to him, would he show it? No.

-First place.

Kakyoin:

-Almost as good as Jotaro as not losing his cool.

-Almost.

-That is his downfall.

-He’s able to withstand the sourness for a good amount of time, but eventually throws in the towel.

-Third place.

Joseph:

-Joseph is American, and as an American, I know how much some kids love sour food.

-Joseph was one of those kids for sure.

-His tongue is trained the most out of all of these men, but Jotaro really puts up a fight.

-The two just ate and ate and ate as the last two contestants, and although Joseph loves the stuff, his tongue is tingling way too much.

-Second place.

Polnareff:

-I don’t know why, but Polnareff feels like he has a weak tongue.

-He would taste one and demand to know if these candies are torture tactics in other countries.

-He would be out from one candy.

-Fifth place.

Avdol:

-Avdol is another expert at not losing his cool, but he’s also a very honest man.

-“(Y/N), I’m sorry. I can’t take any more of these candies.”

-“Any more? You just had ten!”

-“That’s why I’m apologizing.”

-Fourth place.

Bonus! Iggy:

-He’s off doing his own thing, and doesn’t show up for the contest.

-Sixth place.

[bgn846]

The Fight

Unable to keep his footing, Ignis could only brace for the impact when the alpha charged at him. It hurt, but he wasn’t down for the count yet. Swinging his legs out briskly sent the alpha down on his back with a thud. The guy barely twitched before he was back up on his feet.  He was persistent, Ignis could give him that.

Groaning at what had been a nice calming break fifteen minutes before, Ignis vaulted himself back up to standing and summoned his pole arm bringing it down on the man’s shoulder. Maybe the asshole would stay down now. No such luck, apparently getting hit with a metal pole merely energized the man. He screamed out some sort of feral battle cry and rushed forward once more.

This had to stop, Ignis was getting tired. His mates were still busy guarding Noct so Ignis was on his own for this fight. The last thing he’d expected was to get attacked by some raging alpha idiot. He’d simply slipped out the back door to get some fresh air. There had been too many alpha’s in a small space, he needed to get away.

They were at a new restaurant for shiva’s sake. A normal eatery in the fancy part of Insomnia that happened to have been constructed entirely with recycled materials, hence, Noct’s visit for the ribbon cutting.  All of that had gone according to plan; it was the celebratory party afterwards that had given Ignis trouble.  All the overbearing scents and raucous laughter were too much. Not to mention the amount of alcohol present.  Why was this party so rowdy?

The excessive drinking was also to blame for Ignis’ current predicament. The one drunk alpha who felt he was entitled to a piece of omega never went well. Ignis could defend himself, he wasn’t without skills. This alpha, however, needed to go away.  Not wanting to outright maim the man Ignis had gone a little easy, now, though as the alpha charged once again, Ignis rethought this tactic. He was already tired and this wasn’t helping.

Raising his weapon Ignis prepared to strike the alpha again. A flash of blue light erupted out of his peripheral causing him to flinch. A second later Noct appeared in front of him and blocked the hit from the larger alpha. The prince moved gracefully and quickly gained the upper hand. Warping from one side to the other helped confuse the other alpha and soon enough Noct had landed several kicks to the man’s abdomen.

Normally Ignis wouldn’t just stand idle when Noct was in danger, but from where he stood panting for breath it seemed as though Noct was doing fine.  He wasn’t left watching alone for long, Prompto appeared by his side a moment later, gun drawn, but pointed downward. Quickly looking back to the fight, Ignis was able to witness the final blow. Noct summoned his father’s sword, the one he’d been gifted on his twenty first birthday, and spun through the air with the precision years of training will offer.

Noct easily connected the pommel with the man’s temple; the alpha crumpled instantly and fell to the ground.  It was only after the assailant stayed down, unmoving, did Ignis dismiss his own weapon. Backing up slightly caused him to bump into Gladio. Ignis hadn’t even been aware his mate was so close. Opting to lean back Ignis let Gladio wrap his arms around his waist.

Ignis caught a glimpse of how enraged Noct was when he turned and stalked over. His magenta colored eye’s were trained on his own.  “Did he hurt you?” Noct seethed as he came to a halt in front of Ignis.

“Nothing that won’t heal in a few days,” Ignis managed in between breaths.

“Who is he?” Noct demanded.

“I believe he’s the driver for one of the developers.”

“He’s getting arrested and charged with assault,” Noct angrily added as he took a deep breath. “Why were you out here?” he asked with a tone that meant he was serious.

“I needed some fresh air, I’m sorry highness, there were too many alp--.”

Noct’s eyes widened and he quickly dropped his hardened expression, “Shit, sorry I’m not mad I just wanted to know all the details. Don’t apologize, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Before he was able to respond, the door to the building behind them opened, and several other people spilled out into the rear parking lot area. This of course was followed by even more people coming out to investigate. Needless to say, the night ended up dragging on as they waited for things to be dealt with properly. The police came, interviews were given, security footage was reviewed and the man was arrested.  

Turns out he was a known offender that liked having his way with omegas. This time however, he picked on the wrong omega. The adrenaline rush had long since worn off as they all made their way to the limo to go home. Ignis could honestly say he was exhausted. Thankfully, his pack hadn’t left his side since the incident. For once they had a driver as well, which allowed Ignis to nestle in the backseat with Noct and Prompto on either side. Gladio seemed to know he wouldn’t fit and he took the seat opposite and simply watched.  His warm smile was enough to appease Ignis until he could hug his alpha again.

The drive was a blur as they headed back home, Ignis was still amped to sleep so he instead watched the scenery wiz by. They’d be back and out of the public eye soon enough. The only thing left to figure out was what to do when they arrived. A hot shower sounded divine but Ignis wasn’t so sure his mates would let him go it alone. That was the only fault at being the lone omega in the pack, they doted on him and even more so when things like this happened.

Not that Ignis was upset at their clingy behavior, he secretly loved it. However, his energy level was reaching its limits and he needed to rest. It seemed his exhaustion was more obvious than he’d realized when Noct and Prompto both refused to let him go on the walk up to the suite.

“I’m alright,” he tried feebly as they manhandled him into the elevator.

“Don’t even try, we’re not letting go,” Noct pouted as he smashed the button for their floor.

Sighing fondly Ignis let himself be pulled around.  It wasn’t until they’d reached the front door did Ignis realize what Gladio had been doing. His normally very cuddly alpha was working, his eyes scanning every hallway and dark corner. Figures, he was still on guard, Ignis had to work hard not to keen lovingly out loud at the gesture. Ignis knew that once they were safely inside Gladio would loosen up, but for now it was making his inner omega swoon mightily. The moment the door was closed and locked behind them everything changed. Prompto tackled him for a bone crushing hug and wouldn’t let go.

“Ow,” Ignis huffed softly.

“Shit, sorry!” Prompto exclaimed

“Come on, we are all jumping in the shower and then it’s out to the hot tub on the deck,” Gladio proclaimed as he herded them down the hallway and towards the master bathroom.

“The hot tub?! At this hour, surely you’re joking,” Ignis blurted as he was dragged along.

“Why the hell not, we all want to cuddle you and the hot water will help loosen your muscles up.” Gladio offered.

“It’s nearly three am and I’m barely keeping my eyes open.”

“Prompto can you go turn the jets on and get the cover off?” Gladio instructed ignoring his worries. “Iggy, babe, you are allowed to fall asleep in the hot tub ya know that right?”

“Yes, yes, but I’ll get all pruny.”

“Gladio’s right it’ll help you relax, after that fight especially,” Noct added as he stepped forward to help Gladio undress him.  “Besides we can’t all fit in the bath together, the hot tub will be better.”

Ignis had no time to form an argument in favor of sleeping instead. He was whisked away to the shower where all three of his mates, Prompto had returned from his mission by this time, miraculously fit into the shower stall together. The hot water felt so nice and Ignis couldn’t help but pull the nearest body close to lean on.  

“Careful, you’re gonna make me fall over,” Noct whined as he reached out to steady himself.

Humming in response Ignis simply enjoyed the warmth and let Prompto and Gladio wash away the dirt.  He’d all but forgotten that his pale skin was starting to show bruising from the fight, when Noct sighed mournfully.

“I wish we’d been there to help you fight that asshole,” the prince lamented.

“Though based off the footage I saw you were really giving it to him,” Prompto added with a hint of awe. “Like you hit him with a pole arm and he didn’t stop. Plus you kicked him a ton and he still didn’t slow down.”

“He was the true definition of aggressive, I’ll give you that,” Ignis muttered from where he had his nose buried in Noct’s neck.

“Oh but guys, guess what, guess what,” Prompto enthused suddenly, distracting them from talking about the awful alpha.

“Oh no, I know that tone, you’ve done something,” Gladio sighed as he reached out and ruffled Prompto’s wet hair.

“I drew the curtains on the patio so we could jump in naked!” the blond added excitedly.

Noct jumped up a little and Ignis could tell he was smiling. “Nice one buddy!”

“So we ready?” Gladio asked as he leaned over to shut the water off. “We’ve got an omega to cuddle.”

Despite having his eyes closed Ignis rolled them for good measure. Reluctantly pulling away from his prince Ignis barely had time to react when Gladio swept him up off his feet and headed out of the bathroom. “Gladio! You’re still wet!”

“Yeah and what’s the point of drying off when we’ll be jumping in the hot tub?”

“The floor is getting dripped on!” Ignis whined pitifully. Though truthfully it didn’t matter, the floors were all tile and they were all clean.  His only worry was Gladio slipping but he’d already made it out onto the patio and was climbing up over the edge and into the blissfully hot water. Six, Ignis needed this.  

“Hey big guy you gonna share?” Prompto asked as he joined them and waded over to sit next to their alpha.

“I think we should all get turns holding Iggy,” Noct supplied as he climbed in and immediately ducked his head under the water. Coming up a second later he floated closer and wedged himself in between Gladio’s legs and wrapped his arms around Ignis’ waist.  

It didn’t take long and Ignis could feel himself drifting off. Gladio was still cradling him like a baby which didn’t help matters. He always fell asleep when Gladio held him. His remaining waking moments kept occurring when he’d get passed off to one of his mates. First he awoke to Noct hugging him and rubbing all over his scent gland. Unable to keep from giggling, as it tickled, Ignis turned his head and went back to relaxing.

He somehow missed getting out of the hot tub, and his next waking moment was Prompto pulling him close in their stupidly large bed.  Returning the gesture, Ignis hugged his beta tightly. He felt warm and his mind was finally at ease over the evenings events. The hot tub had done the trick, releasing all the tension from his aching muscles.

“Sleep, you’re safe,” Gladio whispered from nearby as the bed dipped.  Soon a strong arm was wrapped around his midsection.

“Wh’s Noct?” Ignis managed as he tried to see in the dark.

“M’here,” came the muffled reply.

Ignis realized that both of his alphas were on the outside edge of the bed. Gladio was behind him and Noct was spooning Prompto. Smiling at the protective behavior Ignis let his mind shut down. Sleep claimed him almost immediately after that. There was nothing left to fret about, he was safe.  

[brownskinsugarplum76]

Writer's Month 2020

Day 31: There was only one bed

I made it! This is the last story for the month. I'm glad I tried the challenge.

This one is long. It's something I've been playing around with for a while. There's a teeny bit of romantic action between the two dudes. ❤️❤️❤️

I should add that the Iggy anecdotes are things that I've read in bio books, or things he's said in interviews.

Forgot to say earlier: thanks @ledbythreads for the sanity check on this. 😁❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They faced each other on opposite sides of the king-sized bed. They were both naked and hot after what had just transpired with Alice, and as neither of them was especially modest, neither of them thought much about it.

"Did you see how Alice made her way to the bathroom? Could barely walk!" Iggy laughed his unnerving cackle. "I've never seen a groupie look so ecstatic when we walked back here. Like she'd just won the fucking lottery."

"Not so loud, Ig! This isn't the bloody locker room." Robert's admonition came in a harsh whisper. "But I am proud of my work. Always am." Robert swept his damp curls out of his face and a beamed with a big Cheshire grin.

"She should be proud of her work, too… Would've sucked my soul out, if I had one to spare." Iggy rolled his eyes backward and opened his mouth wide in an exaggerated dramatization of his climax moments before. "Thanks for inviting me back here with her. Real nice of you to share."

Robert laughed at Iggy's joking, rubber face, but the hilarity faded when he noticed how genuine Iggy's gratitude was, and how intently he was paying attention to Robert all of a sudden. There was still amusement in Iggy's eyes, but Robert swore he saw flirtation in the pouty set of Iggy's lips. He realized he found it hard to take his eyes off the devilish little dynamo at the other side of the bed. That bastard always knew how to court attention, Robert thought, having read about Stooges shows and hearing wild word-of-mouth stories from groupies he and Iggy had in common. Guerrilla tactics, on and off the stage. A pint-sized, silver-haired man-child with a heart full of napalm.

Alice emerged from the bathroom after washing up and threw on her dress. She crawled between Robert and Iggy to kiss them both before leaving to fetch her best friend Fran from the party in Bonzo's room.

Robert lay on his back with his hands behind his head. If Fran was anything like Alice, a breather was in order before round two.

Robert sighed and glanced at Iggy, who was reclining on his side. "How does it feel to be in the big leagues? Raw Power is one hell of a record, mate." After all of Robert's chattering that night about the success of Houses of the Holy, he instantly regretted how arrogant his comment must've sounded to Iggy, who had been making music for roughly as long as Led Zeppelin had been. "Sorry," Robert interjected. "What I, uh, mean to say, Ig--"

"No, I get it, Percy." Iggy saw how much the nickname irked Robert when Bonzo spoke it and decided to twist the knife in Robert a bit.

Iggy had no poker face to speak of. Robert could see the American's thoughts slowly formulating through the movement of his big, blue cartoon eyes. Barely controlled rage pivoting to wily thoughtfulness with whiplash speed. Iggy seemed very lucid tonight, which surprised Robert, who had heard horror stories about Iggy's junkie tendencies through the grapevine. He was getting a sense that an alert Iggy was the truly dangerous Iggy.

Robert didn't know whether he would be scorched by what Iggy was going to say, or if he would be impressed by Iggy stopping himself from leveling a vicious retort. Iggy was not unlike Maureen, Robert thought--petite and fiery. And cute. Iggy's energy was vaguely familiar. The thought surprised Robert but also made him smile.

"We had to get dropped before we could perform the fucking album more than once, but yeah, we are getting bigger audiences now, thanks to Bowie's aura around the project. But we've always had a tight, rabid group of fans who really get it. The money isn't much, since the label tossed us out on our asses, but there are a few more people in the audience to catch me."

"You're a lunatic, with that stage diving." Robert caught himself breathing a sigh of relief. Iggy was reflective. Not in the mood to spar verbally.

"What? Too afraid to bust up your pretty face, Perce?"

Robert inhaled with irritation. His face flushed. He couldn't pinpoint why Iggy was getting under his skin. He'd been treated worse by the press. Much worse.

"I just don't have it in me," Robert finally said. "Plus, I'm bigger than you, and I think I could hurt someone. Or, I might come back to the stage naked, once all the birds get their hands on me."

"You'd love it. Admit it, man."

"Maybe I would, Iggy… But I'll leave you to it."

In the silent pause, Iggy swept his gaze over Robert's face again. Iggy admired the masculine set of Robert's jawline, at odds with his feline eyes and the curlicued cloud of his hair. Robert was more attractive than The Stooges' cutest roadies, and Iggy adored his roadies. Robert was a finely sculpted man who seduced everyone with very subtle androgyny. Robert's pretty hippie god look was a far cry from Iggy's battle-scarred demon persona of eyeliner and dark lips. Nevertheless, Iggy reveled in all the boys and girls wanting him. He loved blurring the lines of the expected. It was his ace, shoving people off kilter with his performance. If he straddled a man's lap and sang in his face, or kissed an unexpecting girl in the audience, all eyes would be on him. Hate or love his performance, they would be telling all their friends about it. It never failed.

By the way Robert looked at him, Iggy knew that even Robert found him to be an intriguing novelty. He smirked at the larger man, who smiled at Iggy quizzically.

Iggy wondered if Robert knew what he was doing with his look. But Robert was a god to his fans and had nothing to explain or prove to anyone.

Iggy couldn't lie to himself; he wasn't on that level. He was the sideshow for a loud, primitive band that always performed at the brink of chaos. He would be the scrappy little underdog until the day he died. Nothing came easy. He had to do the dirty work to get what he wanted.

Iggy watched Robert's chest rise and fall with his breath and imagined that it felt just as solid as Iggy's own musculature. Robert was a total package, just like Iggy had heard. Beautiful inside as much as outside. Iggy remembered the dreamy look in Sable's eyes when he saw her on the street and mentioned he'd be coming to the Riot House, as they called it. She'd asked Iggy to say hi to Robert for her. She was on to the next thing, only had eyes for Johnny Thunders these days.

Iggy started to wonder if Robert was someone he wanted, if Robert himself might be interested in exploring that kind of connection. Iggy was not turned off by the idea, no matter how much he protested about any hint of interest in men to anyone who'd listen. But he knew he'd have to be the one to make it happen with Robert. And that was always something he wrestled with.

David and Lou had no qualms about men, but Iggy hadn't truly shaken free from Midwestern ethics. It was like the time Iggy lived with Leee. It was two boys who grew up far from the coasts of America who couldn't act on their feelings, even when Iggy's robe was open and his large cock was on display. Leee was into boys, but as much as Iggy tried to entice him, nothing ever came of it. Iggy couldn't bring himself to go for Leee. Neither man ever spoke about it. Iggy had been paralyzed by his thoughts. Lee? Maybe he just wasn't sure if Iggy was sure. Iggy had broken free from society in many ways, but not this one. He sighed in frustration.

Robert noticed that Iggy's mood had shifted again, that he was lost in his thoughts, and not happy thoughts, it seemed. For all of Iggy's maniacal bravado, Robert realized that his fellow front man wasn't a savage to the core. It put Iggy in a new light in Robert's eyes.

Not that it made Robert think Iggy was delicate or weak. The ripples and etchings of wiry muscles on Iggy's body proved how strong he was, as did how he had clawed his way to a new record deal after his band had been left for dead a few years before.

Robert and Iggy weren't friends, having just met that night, but they sat by the balcony in the Hyatt suite and had a nice, long conversation over drinks, joints, and stories of the stage.

Iggy, Robert was pleased to find out, had more layers than the press ever attributed to him. Iggy was as well read as Robert and had even broader music taste than his British counterpart. It was refreshing for Robert to have a lively artistic conversation with someone who wasn't Jimmy.

Something was shifting between Robert and Iggy. Robert kind of hoped that Alice and Fran would be delayed for a while, even though he was unsure of how he wanted to fill that time with Iggy.

"Penny for your thoughts, Ig."

"Oh…" Iggy swallowed and blinked his eyes. He'd been caught. What the hell, he thought.

"Uh, Robert …"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever… Done anything with a guy?"

"Haven't had the pleasure, Iggy. You?"

"Closest I've come, I told this creep he could lick my stomach when he asked to suck my dick. And some boys in San Francisco? They, uh, have a fan club for me. Met with them a few times. Touchy-feely motherfuckers. I don't go to sleep around them."

Iggy seemed somewhat ashamed. Robert could understand. Jonesy was convinced that Robert was too provincial, too old fashioned to accept or even acknowledge the male attention he garnered. Maybe the Midlands and Midwest weren't all that different, Robert mused. Iggy may have had more exposure to men who wanted him, but he seemed just as uncomfortable with that kind of attention.

But Robert guessed Iggy, too, was willing to bend the rules a little tonight. Good company and good drugs would do that to anyone.

Both men were lost in their thoughts. The silence was painful. It had become a game of chicken.

"Aw, fuck this." Iggy broke first. He scooted closer to Robert, rested a hand on the larger man's shoulder, and pressed his lips to Robert's. For a few tense seconds it was like both notoriously sexy men forgot how to kiss. Iggy additionally feared getting tossed from the bed by Robert. But then, everything clicked. It was like the first number of an electrifying concert. Both men knew the rush that came from singing the first few bars of a song, the sweet release of all the nervous energy that built while the band played the intro, and the passion that must be doled out with the first notes to hook the audience's attention for the night. Their kiss was exactly the same.

Robert nestled a hand on Iggy's back. Iggy's tongue was exquisitely adventurous. But not aggressive. It was the exact opposite of Iggy's stage persona: tender and unhurried. It was as good as any groupie Robert had ever encountered. Robert got the feeling that Iggy had a surprising number of facets that most would never see. Robert felt honored to get a true glimpse of the man.

Iggy glided his hand into Robert's curls. The American was enjoying himself. He realized it was no big deal after all. He briefly thought of telling David afterward, to see the surprise and envy on his face. Robert. Fucking. Plant! But Iggy would never tell a soul, out of respect for Robert and this moment. And he knew Robert wouldn't breathe a word of it, either.

Robert caressed Iggy's back, causing the smaller man to purr contentedly. The taste of Robert's tongue was the taste of freedom that he'd always craved.

The door opened, and Alice and Fran barged in. Iggy and Robert continued kissing. They'd surprised themselves by not jerking away from each other.

"Oh, my God, that's so hot!" The men heard a new voice. Fran. "They couldn't even wait for us!"

The two women took the scene as their cue and climbed on the bed, choosing a man to play with, separating the embrace.

Robert winked at Iggy, and Iggy nodded his head in response. It was fun while it lasted.

[mango-forest]

more than survive (part 4)

part 1, part 2, part 3

Maybe we’ll see each other. Yeah right, Damian mentally scoffs. The French class is arriving today. If he and his angel go the entire length of the trip without seeing each other, he will fight the entire Justice League himself so help him. The only problem is the fact that Marinette never told him where she’s staying.

As if called on, his phone pings with a notification. Damian’s lips twitch up as he checks the text from his angel. 

Angel: [a picture of Marinette taken in selfie position, with stairs and the bottom half of a hotel entrance in the background.] Guess who just arrived!!!! :D

Damian feels a curl of pleasure wrap in his chest. Perfect. There are only three hotels close to WE, and based on what he can see in the background, Marinette’s at the one twenty blocks from Crime Alley. Which. . . was worrying, now that Damian’s thinking about it. He’ll have to tell Jason to put more effort during the trip to contain the area. 

Damian’s entirely sure that his family knows about the trip. It’s naive to think otherwise; Tim is CEO, he’d see any forms mentioning a foreign class tour most likely; Father will need to sign it for appearances if Tim decides to be an inconvenience, which he certainly will; and Jason and Dick will be annoying and nosy, respectfully.

But Damian doesn’t have to worry about that for at least fifteen more minutes. For now, he looks at his schedule and align events in his mind. Tonight the class won’t do anything, sleeping off the jet lag; tomorrow is the trip to WE. Damian doesn’t have anything tomorrow. What he does have is enough blackmail on his brothers that letting him be near the tour group will be the least they can do.

At dinner Dick sends him a sly glance. “So. . . Damian.”

“What, Grayson?” Damian sends a disdainful glance back.

“I heard that there’s a French class coming to tour WE tomorrow.” The older man taps his fork against his food. “Got anything to say?”

“Oh yeah,” Tim says tiredly, sipping coffee. “We had to get a person who could translate just in case.”

“Marinette’s class is visiting Gotham, yes,” he answers curtly.

“Marinette? What happened to Angel.” Jason chuckles.

Damian scowls. “You need to keep a close eye on Crime Alley now. I will not have you endangering her and her. . . friends.”

“Nice hesitation,” Tim says dryly.

“Sure, Demon Spawn,” Jason replies. There’s a grin plastered to his face and Damian rolls his eyes and gets up before his family can induce any more annoying tactics.

Gotham is busy tonight. Robin’s almost glad for the distractions. It’s all too easy to fall into a routine of beating up criminals and making sure he doesn’t go too far. His brothers are still insufferable, but now they’re interrupted with Father’s gruff voice and occasional grunt. It’s only an hour into patrol when he spots a teenage girl walking by herself.

Robin almost sighs. She must be either intoxicated, a tourist, or just plain stupid. He drops down in front of her and there’s a spark of interest when she shifts so her weight is evenly distributed and her hands tense. Then he actually takes a look at her and it takes most of his willpower not to inhale sharply.

Marinette’s hands lower a bit and Robin distantly registers that she has a purse on and a bag in her hand. “Robin,” she says uncertainly, with a hint of an accent.

“Hello,” he says, a bit breathless. He silences his comm and clears his throat. “What are you going out here? It’s not safe to be out here alone, especially at night.”

Marinette—his angel!—shrugs. “Couldn’t sleep. I just headed out to a fabric shop. My friend recommended it to me.”

(Perhaps you’d like the shop a few blocks away from the shopping center.)

(Depends, how much is it?)

“Well this isn’t very smart of a decision. No matter what your friend says.” Nice job at mixing up your words, idiot.

She hangs her head. “Yeah, sorry. I’ll just go.” She tries to hurry past him but he reaches out a hand, aborting the movement as soon as he sees her flinch. He frowns internally.

“Sorry,” he says, retracting his hand. “I just—I thought I could walk you home? I mean, if you don’t want to it’s fine, but it’s unsafe. So. . .”

Robin sees her contemplate it for a moment. “Well,” she starts, “my friend did say you’re trustworthy.”

Robin hums and holds out a hand. “You place an awful lot of trust in this ‘friend’ of yours.” She trusts him. His angel trusts him. Robin’s filled with a pleasant feeling.

“Excuse you,” she says, taking his hand, “he’s my best friend, and he’s a Gothamiu—Gothamite. So I trust him.”

Robin huffs and pulls her close, taking out his grappling hook. “You afraid of heights?”

“No,” she answers cautiously.

“Good.” He smirks and holds her firmly as he aims the tool. “Thick coat you have on. Along with earmuffs and a scarf, very cozy.” No, no, what are you doing? You act like that as Damian! She hasn’t met Robin yet.

“Well it’s cold—“ She gets cut off by her own yelp as the pair suddenly goes into the air. Robin doesn’t speak as they swing. He can feel a grin press against his shoulder. He won’t un-silence his comm for a while, orders be damned.

The trip is over too soon, landing them in front of a hotel, lobby dimly lit up. He and Marinette pull away and Robin looks at her. “Uh, here’s your hotel.”

Marinette nods and takes a step to the door, but then she stops. “Hey, Robin?” she asks, turning only her head towards him. “How did you know where I was staying?”

Oh. Robin scrambles for an answer. “Your voice has an accent. We—Batman and associates—got notified of a French class visiting. And this is the closest hotel to the shop you went to.” Does that work? It should.

Marinette nods slowly. “Okay, Robin.” It works!

He watches her walk into the lobby and only leaves when she’s in the elevator. He remembers his comm, goes to un-silence it, then remembers that all them most likely heard all of the conversation he had with his angel. 

A few more minutes of silence won’t be too bad.

@god-is-dead-and-so-am-i @birb-didnt-survive-the-snap @iggy-of-fans @never-neverland @urbanpineapplefarmer @zalladane @littleredrobinhoodlum @unabashedlyswimmingtimemachine @ellerahs @drama-queen-supreme @literallytryingmybestbutok @blue-peach14 @thatrandomfandomsgirl @alexzandria-747 @spicybelladonna @fiendsangelical tell me if I missed anyone!

[cheemers-writing-archive]

Crusaders in a sour candy eating contest

Jotaro:

-Let’s be honest, he would win.

-He probably eats sour candy all the time at home anyway.

-And even if he didn’t, and the sourness really was getting to him, would he show it? No.

-First place.

Kakyoin:

-Almost as good as Jotaro as not losing his cool.

-Almost.

-That is his downfall.

-He’s able to withstand the sourness for a good amount of time, but eventually throws in the towel.

-Third place.

Joseph:

-Joseph is American, and as an American, I know how much some kids love sour food.

-Joseph was one of those kids for sure.

-His tongue is trained the most out of all of these men, but Jotaro really puts up a fight.

-The two just ate and ate and ate as the last two contestants, and although Joseph loves the stuff, his tongue is tingling way too much.

-Second place.

Polnareff:

-I don’t know why, but Polnareff feels like he has a weak tongue.

-He would taste one and demand to know if these candies are torture tactics in other countries.

-He would be out from one candy.

-Fifth place.

Avdol:

-Avdol is another expert at not losing his cool, but he’s also a very honest man.

-“(Y/N), I’m sorry. I can’t take any more of these candies.”

-“Any more? You just had ten!”

-“That’s why I’m apologizing.”

-Fourth place.

Bonus: Iggy:

-He’s off doing his own thing, and doesn’t show up for the contest.

-Sixth place.

[ragewerthers]

A Few Minutes

Summary: Gladio can see the way Ignis is working himself to the bone, going above and beyond what is asked if him.

The only thing Gladio asks of him... is just a few minutes.

A/n: Hello there! This is a fluffy little fic that got away from me for my friend @bgn846​!

I hope everyone can enjoy it and the fluffiness of these two amazing boys!!! :D

You can also read on AO3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22231738

Enjoy! :D

Word Count: 3159

-------------------------------- Glancing over from his spot on the sofa, Gladio let his eyes wander from his book on Ancient Solheim to the tense back of his partner.  It was just starting to crest into evening.  Gladio had long since changed into a nice pair of black sweats and a grey tank, more than content to relax for the remainder of the evening.  Sadly… he was the only one.

Ignis was sitting at his desk in the living room, his laptop open, papers piled around him in organized chaos and enough pens, highlighters and sticky notes to rival any office supply store.  The man had been working all evening, almost from the time he’d gotten home.  Apparently there was a rather important delegation coming from Altissia in a few days and once again he had taken on a workload that would’ve crushed a lesser man.

It didn’t help that there were others who seemed to heap their own workload on him, but that was a battle for Gladio to tackle another day.  Perhaps a day when Ignis was away and Gladio could unleash his wrath on a few Councilmen who needed to learn that Ignis wasn’t their own personal assistant.

However, for now, his focus was on the present.  His frown growing by the second the longer he watched Ignis.  He hated seeing the way Ignis’s shoulders seemed stiff with tension, the way his hand kept coming up to rub at the back of his neck or his lower back.  The only break he’d taken was when Gladio had brought over a plate of dinner he’d made up for him, getting a tired smile and a soft kiss to his cheek for his troubles before Ignis was once more focusing back on his work.

Gladio watched as Ignis leaned back in his seat, his spine making a few unnatural crackling noises as the poor Adviser brought his hands up to scrub at his face, glasses lifting and settling on top of his head.

It was when Ignis began looking around the desk with a bit of confusion, mumbling about his ‘missing’ glasses, that Gladio realized that enough was enough.

It was time to intervene.

Marking his spot and setting the book on their small coffee table, Gladio slowly rose from his spot on the sofa and made his way to stand behind the confused man, his hands settling on shoulders that felt like they were made of stone.

“What’cha doin’, babe?” he murmured softly, watching as Ignis continued to shuffle his papers around, seeming to grow more and more irritated by the moment.

“I can’t find my bloody glasses,” he growled out, Gladio having to bite back a smile for a moment as he let his partner continue his search.  “I have work to do and this silly little hiccup is going to put me behind schedule!  How does a person lose their glasses?  Surely they didn’t just get up and walk off my face without my noticing?”

Ignis turned slightly in his seat to look up at Gladio, his glasses still perched lightly on the top of his head, green eyes mixed with perturbed exhaustion.  “Have you seen my glasses?”

The question was so innocent and so endearing that Gladio really couldn’t help himself as a soft chuckle escaped him, Ignis’s expression changing to a moment of shock before he glared.

“Well… if it’s merely a joke to you and you only came over here to laugh at my plight then perhaps you shou-...,”

Gladio brought a hand up, raising it over Ignis’s head and lightly tapping the dark frames of the man’s glasses, just enough to have them tipping forward and plopping down with a soft little thunk onto his nose once more.

“........ oh.”

This time the look of shock and awe was too much for Gladio and a deeper laugh rumbled from his chest.  His reaction caused the poor Adviser’s cheeks fo flush up as he adjusted his newly found glasses.

“Right.  Well.  If you’ll excuse me… I have work to do,” he tried to dismiss, turning back around to his laptop, trying to ignore the chuckling Shield behind him.

“Oh no you don’t,” Gladio chided, his laughter ebbing as he reached his arms to wrap around Ignis’s shoulder.  “You literally just lost your glasses because they were on top of your head, Iggy.  I think you need a break before you lose anything else.”

Ignis huffed as those strong arms constricted around him a bit and he shook his head.  “Gladiolus… it was a momentary lapse on my part.  I’m fine to continue and if I don’t get these notes organized tonight I will have next to no time to do it in the coming days.”

“Mmhm,” Gladio hummed with absolutely no conviction.  “I’m sure Lord Visco and Lady Beldan would be upset because their notes haven’t been completed.  But that’s on them.”

“They asked me to do it, Gladio.”

“No.  They told you it needed to be done.  There’s a difference, Ignis.  If they can’t do their own workload then they shouldn’t have the positions they have,” Gladio pointed out, leaning back once more and letting his hands settle back on Ignis’s shoulders.  “Come on.  You’re tense as a board, your eyes are turning red and you barely ate anything for dinner.  Do you know how long it took me to read the directions for preheating that?”

The last remark had its desired effect, a little surprised snort of laughter escaping Ignis before the man brought his hand up to cover his mouth.  Gladio chuckled and ducked down to kiss the crown of his head.  “Come on, Iggy.  Just relax with me for a few minutes.  Then you can get right back to whatever you’re doing,” he promised, his thumbs rubbing gently into the knots that were already forming in Ignis’s neck.

A soft little groan escaped the bespectacled man and for a moment, Gladio thought perhaps he was winning.

Until…

“No.  Really now, Gladio.  I have to finish this and I will not be swayed,” Ignis mumbled, though his voice sounded a little less sure then it had a moment ago.

“Iggy…,”

“No, Gladiolus.  I have to do this.  Thank you for helping me find my glasses, but I really must continue,” Ignis said, already bringing his hands back up to begin typing once more on his laptop.

Well… considering gentle persuasion hadn’t worked, perhaps Gladio had to bring out the big guns.

“You know if you keep continuing you’re just going to be grumpy tomorrow,” he said offhandedly, feeling Ignis tense under his hands and smiling as he knew this tactic was already having an effect.

“I don’t get grumpy, Gladiolus,” Ignis grumbled, typing a little more roughly on the laptop.

“Yes you do.  You become a grumpy little Moogle butt,” Gladio cooed, his hands soothing over the planes of the man’s shoulder, sliding lower and lower.

“You’re being absolutely ridiculous!  I’m not a child, Gladio,” Ignis snipped, shivering at the gentle soothing to his back as Gladio’s broad hands continued to move lower still.

“Well you’re acting pretty childish, refusing to take a break,” Gladio mumbled, his smile only growing as he watched Ignis’s hands faltering over the keys.  “And you’re definitely still sounding like a grumpy Moogle butt.  And there’s only one way to cure that, I’m afraid.”

“Oh?  And what, pray tell, is the cure all for grumpy Moogle buttiness?” Ignis drawled before jumping in his seat as fingers gave a quick scribble to his sides, his arms instantly snapping down to block the sensation.  “Gladiolus?!”

“Hmm.  Nope.  I’m still detecting a bit of grumpy Moogle buttiness.  I think I need to give you a bit more of the cure,” Gladio teased, his fingers starting to wriggle a bit more incessantly against Ignis’s poor ticklish sides.  A spot, he had learned, that the man was highly susceptible to.

It only took a few seconds for the giggles to start, Ignis squirming in his seat as he tried to bat at the hands tickling against his poor sides.  “Stahap!  Stop, Glahahadio!” he snorted, unable to cover the sound as his hands were too busy trying to keep the Shield at bay.

“Not until you agree to take a break with me.  Just a few minutes.  Is that too much to ask?” Gladio murmured, letting his fingers sneak forward slightly, tickling at the sides of Ignis’s stomach and making the poor Adviser’s legs kick out under the desk as he attempted to curl forward.  The man’s laughter intensifying to the cutest giggle fit Gladio had heard.

“B-but… ihihihit’s importahaha-ah!  Stahahap it!” Ignis squeaked, shoulders scrunching as Gladio ducked down to nuzzle his stubbly cheek against Ignis’s exposed neck, earning him a new round of adorable laughter.

“So is your health, Iggy.  And I refuse to let you work yourself sick,” Gladio murmured softly, slowly ceasing his attack to simply soothe his hands against Ignis’s slightly heaving sides.  Turning his head he pressed a soft kiss to the man’s neck, earning himself another little breathless giggle, though he could feel the fight slowly leaving the Adviser.  “Your health is worth more than paperwork, Ignis.  All I ask is for you to relax for a little bit.  Let me take care of you.”

He continued to soothe his hands along Ignis’s sides, feeling how the Adviser slowly started to melt under even that little touch.  A few more kisses pressed under Ignis’s ear, his arms wrapping around the mans middle, chin resting against his shoulder…

“Alright.  I… suppose I could take a short break.  Don’t want to become a grumpy Moogle butt,” he chuckled, Gladio smiling brightly as he heard the acquiescence.

“Thank you.  Now… first things first.  You… go change.  I want you in your most comfortable pajama’s and Ramuh help you if I hear you trying to sneak messages on your phone,” he growled playfully against Ignis’s ear, making the man giggle and scrunch his shoulder up once more.

“I won’t!  I won’t… promise,” Ignis murmured, turning his head to press a little kiss to Gladio’s lips.  “But I’m afraid you have to release me if you want me to go change.”

“In a minute,” Gladio murmured softly against his lips, giving him a soft squeeze around his middle.  “Gotta make sure you know what you’re hurrying to get back to.”  He gently captured Ignis’s lips in another soft, languid kiss, feeling a hand moving up to gentle trace against his jaw.  It was only a few seconds, but as he leaned back, the dazed look in Ignis’s eyes would’ve made him believe he’d been kissing him for years.

“R-Right… yes… I’ll… be right back,” Ignis rasped, Gladio chuckling as he finally unwrapped his arms from around Ignis’s waist and stepped back to allow him to move.

Ignis practically dashed to their bedroom and Gladio found himself feeling just a bit proud at getting that reaction.  Glancing down he took in the amount of work Ignis still had to do.  How much of it was his own and how much of it still had other names and other handwriting on it.  The extra work Ignis had been heaped with.

Shaking his head he moved away from the table, going back over to the sofa and making sure the pillows were fluffed up, their throw blanket was at the ready and that the TV was turned on to one of those cooking competition shows that Ignis absolutely adored.  The man never admitted to liking them, but Gladio knew better.  He would see Ignis’s fingers twitch as people used their knives or the way he would mumble under his breath when he thought the contestant was picking the wrong spice to use.  He couldn’t help smiling as he thought about it, his smile only growing as he felt arms wrapping around his own waist from where he was bent over, adjusting the last pillow.

“That was quick,” he teased softly, standing back to his full height and feeling Ignis hiding his face between his shoulder blades, noticing a distinct lack of glasses.  Hopefully he had simply set them aside instead of losing them again.

“Yes… well… you gave me plenty of reasons to get back here as soon as possible,” he mumbled against Gladio’s back, his words muffled and vibrating against the Shields spine, making him shiver a bit.

“I’m a master of my craft.  What can I say?” Gladio chuckled, feeling Ignis nuzzling into his back more and wriggling a bit in his hold.  “H-Hey.  What’re you doin’ back there?” he said lightly, turning his head a bit to try and glance back at his partner even as the man’s arms held him a little tighter around his waist.

“Payback,” Ignis murmured, Gladio feeling the smile against his back a moment too late to do himself any good.  Soon he felt Ignis’s fingers lightly pinching and massaging against his lower ribs, making him buckle and giggle in the worst way possible.  His own arms attempting to wrap around himself to protect his weak spot.

“Nonon-ahaha!  Dohon’t!  Ihihig-nis!” he squeaked through his laughter, trying to wriggle free.

“You’re lucky I’m so forgiving,”Ignis murmured after a moment, stopping his small torment to simply hug Gladio closer.  “Remind me to thank Cor for giving me that little tidbit of info about you.  It’s saved me countless times.”

Gladio still had a few residual giggles escaping him even as he was able to stand back up to his full height, his arms slowly unwrapping so he could soothe his hands along Ignis’s forearms.  “He is an asshole.  He has his own weak spots though you gotta be quick to get a reaction otherwise he can turn it off.  It’s… unnatural,” Gladio chuckled.

“Oh?  And where would the Marshal have these weak spots?” Ignis asked, Gladio instantly hearing the tactitions mind going to work, but he wasn’t foolish enough to get himself caught up into that.

“Oh no.  You wanna find out, be my guest, but I’m not going to be the one to get Cor on my bad side,” he murmured, slowly turning around in Ignis’s arms to see the man leveling him with a pout.  Without his glasses and with his hair down and soft, it made him look even younger and Gladio felt his resolve waver.

“If you can get his neck… right against the back of it you’re gold.  Saps him instantly.  My Dad told me about that, but you cannot tell him I told you,” Gladio said earnestly, even going so far as to lower his voice incase, somehow, the Marshal would still be able to hear him betraying such a secret.

“My lips are sealed,” Ignis murmured, his pout instantly morphing into a bright smile as his eyes sparkled with mischief.  However, under that mischievous smile, Gladio could still see the dark circles that had settled under is partners eyes, the way his shoulders still seemed tense and his back rigid.  Even dressed down in soft grey sweats and a faded green t-shirt, Ignis still needed a chance to relax and Gladio wanted nothing more than to give it to him.

“Come on, you little imp.  Let’s get you relaxing for a bit,” he offered softly, soothing the man’s bangs from his forehead and watching how Ignis’s eyes fluttered shut at even that soft contact.  Gladio could feel his heart constrict with so much love for this man, he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to properly express it.  

Moving his hand away he watched the slight flicker of discontent pass over Ignis’s face, but he made sure it was short lived.  Ducking down once more he pressed a few soft kisses to his brow, his nose, his cheeks.  Tender pecks meant to soothe and relax him.  Ignis’s hands were now settled loosely against his hips, his own hands resting just over the Advisers upper arms.  Placing one last kiss to his lips he began to step back, allowing his hands to sweet down Ignis’s arms, gently holding onto his fingers as he led him toward the sofa.

“Just a few minutes of rest.  I promise,” he murmured once more, not wanting to break the little spell he could see he’d been able to capture his partner in.

Ignis gave a little nod at this, his eyes partially hooded as he followed.  Gladio easily settled himself on the sofa, laying across it with his legs outstretched before giving Ignis’s fingers a little tug.  Before long he found himself with a cuddle hungry Adviser draped over him, the man’s head nestled against his chest, right over his heart and his hands tucked under Gladio’s back.

“Comfortable, Iggy?” Gladio rumbled softly, one arm resting over the back of the sofa while his other hand worked to soothe and gently massage against the length of Ignis’s back.

A shaky response and a little nod was the only confirmation he got as he felt Ignis unwinding.  It always started slowly.  First, his breathing would calm.  Soft, deep breaths that seemed to deflate him more and more.  Then his legs would slowly start to tangle with Gladio’s, as if his body was already betraying his future plans to move anytime soon.

Then his back and shoulders would slowly start to soften, his muscles relaxing under Gladio’s gentle guidance.  A few kisses to his hair always seemed to complete the transformation from stern, rigid Adviser to pliant, cuddlebug Iggy.

“Feeling better?” Gladio asked, his hand having snuck up to lightly soothe and card through Ignis’s hair.  His brow furrowed a moment when no answer was forthcoming and he glanced down once more.  “Iggy?”

The man was out cold.  His cheek smushed against Gladio’s chest, lips slightly parted and looking so gods damn adorable Gladio cursed himself for not having his phone nearby to take a picture.

Carefully he shifted his arm on the back of the sofa, nabbing the blanket he had ready and draping it over the both of them.  He himself was always warm, but Ignis had a tendency to get cold.  The last thing he wanted was any discomfort to wake the poor man who was in desperate need of this time to relax.

His hand returned to soothing against Ignis’s scalp, keeping the Adviser blissfully content with every soft touch and gentle brush of his fingertips.

Someone on the television mentioned paprika and Gladio swore he felt Ignis’s fingers twitch between his back and the sofa and he couldn’t help a little chuckle.  He knew he would have to wake the man here in awhile.  Knew he’d have to keep his promise to him.  But for this moment he allowed himself to be greedy.  Allowed Ignis to be greedy and get the rest he deserved.

“Sleep tight, sweetheart,” he murmured softly, feeling the way Ignis sighed at his soft endearment, his arms wrapping protectively around his partner.  “We still got a few minutes.”

[mendicant-bias]

Head full of sadness still that SDC just let my bois die. Avdol and Kakyoin were the only people in that part who knew what they were doing.

Joseph is JOSEPH and for some reason they made him more dumb in p3 without giving him more of his typical cunning.

Polnareff literally just ran into EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM and refused to die, and then when he accepted his death, it was a fakeout for Iggy who I do not care about in the slightest.

And Jotaro???? BIG PUNCHY MAN SUPREME??? All he ever does is punch. He is only tactical in a few episodes (Wheel of Fortune, D'Arby brothers if you REALLY wanna stretch it.)

Avdol and Kakyoin were tactical, calm, and just GREAT. I'm certain they were only killed off because if they were in future parts their power would be too immense and the problems just would not exist anymore. Also, if they were alive Jotaro wouldn't need copious amounts of therapy. Only a bit of therapy. Really, dude, get some help.

[patricianandclerk]

Time & Duty

My Ask | My Ko-Fi | My Ao3 | Requests always welcome!

They were camping some ways out from the capital, and it was late into the night – in fact, it was nearly three o’clock in the morning, and Ignis had long-since given up on falling asleep. The young Prompto had joined them on their little expedition, and whilst he was a little shy and uncertain, as yet, of Gladiolus and Ignis both, sometimes falling over himself in his attempts to impress… He was intelligent, to be certain, and he had obeyed orders in the field, asking questions about each of their weapons, about their tactics.

He was asleep now, sprawled under the stars with one arm wrapped loosely around his knapsack. Beside him, Noctis was asleep too, their legs loosely tangled together, but Noctis was sitting up, leaning back against one of the Chocobos from the palace stables, its wing over his chest, coaxing his highness’ head to rest on the bird’s neck. It was a good sign, too, that the Chocobo was so comfortable with Prompto. They were good judges of character, and Prompto and Noctis were comfortable with one another, too, even in sleep.

Noctis needed friends his own age.

Not for the first time, Ignis felt a small twinge of uncertainty, and he turned his head away from his charge, resting his chin against his own folded arms, settled upon his knees. It wasn’t a cold night, but the breeze had the slightest chill in it, and he was glad of his jacket as he looked out over the hills, over the sandy scapes that led out toward the tombs.

“Can’t sleep?”

Ignis looked up to Gladiolus, who had made his way over on surprisingly fleet and silent feet, standing a Ignis’ shoulder, and Ignis pushed his glasses up his nose.

“We aren’t all so adept at slumbering in the dirt as you are, Gladio,” Ignis murmured, and Gladiolus took a step forward, dropping hard onto his arse in the earth beside Ignis, his legs dangling from the edge of the small cliff. Ignis immediately felt the warmth of the other young man beside him – Gladiolus, easily twice Ignis’ size, broke the gentle draught of the breeze, and radiated a heat all of his own. “You can’t sleep either, I take it?”

“I woke up, and you weren’t there,” Gladio said, shrugging his shoulders. The muscles at his shoulder blades rippled thick and strong, and Ignis set his jaw, hyperaware of the weight of his tongue in his mouth, pressed against the back of his teeth, against his own palate. “Figured you’d answered the call of nature, but then I saw you sat out here, moping.”

“Moping,” Ignis repeated, mildly amused. “Is that what you think?”

“Why else would you be curled up in the foetal position?”

“Because it’s rather chilly, that’s all,” Ignis said, and Gladio laughed quietly, leaning in and dragging one ridiculously muscular arm about Ignis’ shoulder, dragging him close. “Oh, you aren’t chilly at all.”

“That’s ‘cause I’ve got meat on my bones,” Gladiolus rumbled, and Ignis chuckled, leaning into his chest and feeling the heated weight of Gladio’s arm on his shoulder, his fingers brushing against the side of Ignis’ neck before he drew his arm back. He didn’t put his hand back in his lap: instead, it settled flat in the dust behind Ignis’ lower back, so that Gladio’s wrist, his forearm, still brushed Ignis’ body, and Ignis exhaled silently. “What kind of chef is skinny, huh? Can’t trust that.”

“You weren’t saying that when you were eating the meal I cooked this evening,” Ignis pointed out.

“Well,” Gladio replied, “I was hungry then.”

Ignis’ lips twitched, and he looked out over the dark horizons once more.

“You thinking about the future?” Gladio asked. “This could be how it goes down, you know, when we take him off to get hitched.”

“He’s only sixteen,” Ignis said, not turning to look at Gladiolus’ expression, not sure what he’d see in the other man’s face. It all felt so entirely nebulous, and he hated how far in the future it was – negotiations were still in their planning stages, and all was so slow to develop, so unpredictable. And yet… With every day that went past, the future loomed yet higher overhead, threatening to drop in one fell swoop upon their heads. “He shall hardly be married to the Oracle tomorrow.”

“But he will be, one day,” Gladio said. His tone was gentle. “And that’s just the wedding – there’ll be other stuff, too, escorting him all around. When he’s king—”

“Do forgive me for asking,” Ignis whispered, “but from where precisely is this lecture coming from?”

There was a moment’s pause, and Ignis looked at Gladio’s face, at his expression. He was starting to grow in a beard, and it suited him, Ignis thought, wasn’t at all so patchy as Ignis’ would be, if he tried to grow one himself – Gods forbid. Gladio looked stricken, his lips parted, his eyes dark.

“Sorry,” he said finally. “Didn’t mean to lecture, I was just… I don’t know, Iggy. Guess I was thinking out loud more than anything else.”

“Oh,” Ignis said. “My apologies.” He floundered, grasping at the mental straws. “You were thinking about the future yourself, then?”

“A girl asked me if I’d ever think about asking her to marry me,” Gladio said, and Ignis felt himself stun, feeling his eyes widen. He stared at Gladio – they were each too young for that, weren’t they? But no: Ignis was only nineteen; Gladio was soon to turn to twenty-one. That was old enough to marry.

“I was just thinking,” Ignis said, “how much it feels like the future is hurtling toward us too fast. A marriage would rather speed that up, wouldn’t it? But Marjella, isn’t it, that’s the girl? You’ve been with her seven months now, Gladio, I—”

“I said no,” Gladio said, and Ignis felt his lips stop their movements, his tongue quietening in its bed. “She’s a nice girl. I like her. But… I don’t know. I guess I don’t think I could juggle being a husband and being devoted to Noct, I gotta… I’d need him to be stable first, I think. When he’s married, and once he’s king—”

“Gladio, that could be a decade hence,” Ignis said. “Two decades, even – his majesty is ailing, but he’s hardly in the clutches of complete frailty. He’s not on death’s door.”

“Duty comes first,” Gladiolus said. “Maybe later, I’ll find myself a lady, but not now, not soon. The throne comes first – Noctis, he comes first.” He said it like he was practising saying the words out loud, and Ignis watched him for a long moment before he touched Gladiolus’ wrist. The heat radiated from him, against Ignis’ palm, and Ignis squeezed gently before he withdrew his hand, settling it into his lap. “I hope I didn’t make you feel bad,” Gladiolus said, “if you were with a girl…”

“What?” Ignis asked, his body feeling abruptly like it had been doused in ice water, and he shook his head. “No, no, I wasn’t… I wasn’t worried about that. Not at all.”

Gladiolus raised his eyebrows. “What, none of them catching your eye?”

“Marriage has never been one of my priorities,” Ignis murmured. “Like you, I would prefer to put duty first.”

“You can still be with girls, though,” Gladio said.

Ignis’ throat felt full and thick, his tongue clumsy, his head spinning. He suppressed a shiver as his stomach gave an abrupt and twisting lurch, making the ghost of a gag threaten to come up from the base of his throat. His fingers gripped slightly tighter at his own knees, dimpling the flesh through the fabric of his trousers.

“I don’t have time for that sort of thing,” Ignis said, his voice sounding slightly hoarse to his own ears.

“Right,” Gladio said, slowly. “I mean… If you ever wanted advice, I could give you some.”

“Advice,” Ignis repeated, not looking at Gladio. He thought about trying to lend voice to exactly what it was he wanted to say. It wasn’t that it was unheard of. Certainly, men were… But not in his majesty’s service: not in amongst the palace staff. There was still the implication of the sordid in it, still something inappropriate in it.

“Yeah,” Gladio said. “You know, about uh, catching somebody’s eye. Going in for the kiss. Going home together after a successful date.”

“You think I need such in-depth schooling for a subject matter I have no interest in?”

“Seems like the subject matter might have interest in you,” Gladiolus said. “You didn’t see Randal staring at your ass earlier?”

“The stable boy?” Ignis asked, feeling his heart skip a beat at the thought of it, of Randal’s skin-tight vest when he was working with the Chocobos, his arms so tightly coiled with strength when he drew on their reins… And then he realised precisely what Gladio had said. He coughed, running a hand through his hair, aware of the hot flush in his cheeks. “Oh. Well. No, no, as I said, I haven’t time—”

“Haven’t got time, or too scared?”

“What is it I have to be scared of?”

“I don’t know,” Gladio said. “You tell me.”

Ignis turned his head, and then he inhaled sharply, because Gladio was leaning in toward him, so close that Ignis’ nose almost brushed against his, their mouths so close together that Ignis had to stop himself from licking his lips – there’d be too much of a chance that his tongue would brush Gladio’s mouth as well as his own.

Gladiolus’ eyes were dark and shining in the dim light, lit by the orange glow from the fire veins below where they were sitting, and they were beautiful. Beautiful…

“Don’t have time?” Gladio asked.

“I could have a look at my schedule, I suppose,” Ignis said, trying to sound controlled, wry, and not breathless, not as if he was about to fall to pieces at any moment. Gladio laughed, soft and low, and when he leaned back, Ignis felt himself leaning to follow him, feeling the loss of Gladio’s body beside him, of his heat.

“We can talk this through tomorrow,” Gladio said. “Iggy… You need to sleep.”

“Indeed,” Ignis said, standing slowly to his feet. “Gladio—”

“In the morning,” Gladio said, smiling at him. It was a kind smile – a handsome smile.

“Was he really staring at my arse?”

“For the whole time we were there,” Gladio said. “I was amazed you didn’t notice. He wasn’t subtle.”

“Fascinating…”

“C’mon. Let’s hit the hay.”

Groggy, Ignis followed Gladio to where they’d set out their sleeping bags, and laid down beside him, his head against the plump pillow he’d brought out to support his neck in the field. Gladio’s sleeping bag was perhaps just a little closer to Ignis’ than it needed to be, and yet when one of his legs brushed against Ignis’, Ignis curled a little bit closer rather than drawing away.

It was easy to fall asleep this time, somehow.

Something to do with the rhythm of Gladio’s breathing beside him.

[gwiiyeoweo]

Gladio and Prompto walk past just in time to hear Noctis mention the trauma of ten years ago. Except, it turns out he’s talking about a different kind of ring entirely, and they wish they could scrub their ears clean of what they just heard because, uh, yeah TMI much.

Situational: Ignis and Noctis talk about Ignis putting on the ring Pairing: Ignis/Noctis, Prompto/Gladio (brief) Rating: T @ignoctweek​

During the ten years of darkness, they learned a lot of and from each other. 

Gladio, having spent nearly all his life learning the in's and out's of wilderness survival, still found himself challenged with the new dangers the constant night brought. He had to figure out new tactics, find ground that was decently safe since the havens no longer held their protective magic, learn to sleep with one eye open when he was forced to keep outside when he ventured too far from civilization and proper shelter. 

Prompto forced himself to tuck away his camera in favor of not getting mauled by some daemon or Scourge-infected beast, no matter how perfect the snapshot would have looked. Sometimes, not even the most well-timed joke or gentlest smile could soften the blows of grief and desolation, and he had to let people ride out their own waves of sorrow. 

They also learned just how Ignis had almost lost his life. Between horror and understanding, all they could do was bow their heads and take it as it was. A valiant effort made in the past, to keep their future king safe and alive. Neither could blame Ignis, especially knowing that any of them would have done much the same, if not something more drastic. 

It was done out of love and loyalty, but dead kings didn't care for heart-rending stories. Gladio and Prompto couldn't fathom the idea of standing before the great phantoms, feeling their burning gaze cut deep into their very souls, to have them cut through their chests and gauge their hearts for whatever criteria of arbitrary "worthiness" the old beings held. Gladio never considered himself a coward; he's stared at death reflected in daemons and beasts, but something about having his soul dissected and laid bare before ancient kings did not strike any fancies. Prompto, well, was understandably not on board with the whole thing to begin with. 

And the pain? Wretched, horrid, unimaginable. They could see only a glimpse of what he must have endured — despite his guard, there was the tell of his set jaw and the crawl of his hand toward his scarred finger — but they knew to not press. When they had first found him, crumpled to the ground and barely clinging to life, they almost feared to breathe as Noctis begged the Crystal to return what had been almost stolen.

It was a sight no one wanted to remember ever again. 

"Ignis, did it uh… Hurt? Putting the ring on."

So when Gladio and Prompto cross the hall and hear Noctis' question through the crack of Ignis' office door, they thought better of their king. 

Noctis, of all people, should be most understanding of Ignis' trauma, having watched the Ring drain the life of his father throughout his childhood and after the fall, feel its terrifying draw on his own life. 

Gladio remembers racking his brain of all the first aid and emergency lessons he's been ingrained with, trying in vain to find a solution to the ashen skin and burning veins that crawled up his King's arm and neck. Prompto deleted every photo he managed to snap of Noctis using the Ring, feeling what little remained in his stomach threatening to climb up his throat. During the ten years, they managed to cull the daemon numbers around Insomnia but the city was still a nest itself; upon Noctis' return, they tried to pick off as many as they could before the Ring had to be used, and it was still used too many times in their opinions. 

“I was nervous the first time I’ll admit,” they hear Ignis say, “but by the second try, I rather enjoyed the pressure.”

Gladio and Prompto jerk their heads to stare at each other in disbelief. There was a second try? What in the gods’ name happened that warranted Ignis wearing the Ring again? The first attempt should have never happened; it was a miracle the man survived the power of Kings, and he was bedridden for days even after the Crystal healed him of most of the injuries. And he enjoyed it? What.

Prompto reaches for Gladio’s arm before either of them can barge in there and demand an explanation, but Gladio is too quick (despite his massive bulk) and shoves the office door wide open. 

“Oh, okay. It’s just, I just thought it might be interesting to try too so — “

Noctis cuts himself off the second Gladio stomps inside, Prompto quickly following after and having the mind to close the door behind them. 

“Gladio? Prompto? Is something wrong?” Ignis rises from his seat, slightly alarmed at the urgency the two carry themselves with. 

“Damn straight something’s wrong.” Gladio barely keeps his hands from slamming against the desk, and he leans over to see almost nose-to-nose with Ignis. “What’s this about wearing the Ring again? You know what happened the last time! We all do, Iggy, so why in the hell would you even — “

“Holy shit.” Noctis flies both his hands to his face and groans.  

Ignis' eyebrows almost meet his hairline. 

“Uh, yeah? Holy shit is kinda right, buddy. Seriously, Ignis, how come you two didn’t tell us?” It's Prompto's turn now, and though he doesn't share Gladio's tactic of getting up close and personal, his disapproving frown and crossed arms are just as potent. 

“It’s a, ah, rather… private matter between Noct and I." Ignis slowly lowers himself back into his seat, pulling at his collar that seems just a tad too tight all of a sudden. "Really, you two, it isn't what you think it is."

“Dude. We know you’re a pair but we’re your best buds too! You can’t keep these sort of secrets from us.”

Noctis hunches over in his lap and whines like a dying dog, and he still hasn’t bothered to look them in the eyes. 

Gladio notices and turns his eyes to Noctis, seeing that his loyal advisor refused to peep a word. “Hey, Majesty. Wanna explain?” he says in an impatient tone, narrowing his eyes. Noctis may not see, but he's sure his King can feel his scathing look. 

“Gladiolus Amicitia,” Ignis nearly hisses, resorting to full names now. "I promise you it is not a topic for your ears —" 

"Iggy! C'mon, don't keep something like this from us." 

"Prompto's right. All these years together, the daemons, the battles. We have each other's backs, and we always will. You can tell us —"

“For fuck’s sake, it’s a cock ring!” Noctis yells, ripping his hands from his face, red as a ripe tomato. But just as quickly as he raised his head to finally give them the answer they so demanded, he ducks his face again into his hands. 

A deafening silence follows, and the air suddenly becomes too warm. Ignis breaks the pregnant pause with a sigh and an irritated tap of his pen. 

“Ohhh-kay then.” Prompto laughs nervously, already taking a few steps backward toward the door. "Yeah, that's uh. That's a ring alright."

Gladio takes a few extra beats to comprehend exactly what just transpired. He blinks, opens his mouth to speak, then closes it before any words come out. He ends up making a sour face as if he took a nice bite out of a rotten fruit; he almost wishes he had one just to chuck it at Noctis because why the hell are they talking about their sex life? 

"For your information, this is my private office, and you two happened to barge in here by your own volition."

Gladio doesn't realize his thought must have slipped out, as Ignis answers him anyway. Before his big mouth starts blabbering on without his consent, he mutters an apology and turns on his heel to leave. Sure, he's an adult, he's no blushing maiden. But hearing about his King's kinks and sex life? Yeah, that was just weird. It's like learning about his brother's sex life, and considering Noctis is practically one, kinda gross. Super TMI. 

He and Prompto walk down the corridor in silence, each digesting what they had heard in Ignis' office and wondering about the unfortunate circumstances that led to the misunderstanding. Perhaps, in a couple of weeks, they'll look back on it with good humor and maybe some whiskey; but for now, they'd rather just have the whiskey to forget about the whole thing. 

"Hey, Gladio, you think we should buy one too?" 

Ah, fuck it. 

"Sure."

[dawne-sharlotte]

Expect the Unexpected Pt. 4

@igcorweek Less fluff, more funny. Its not the bday Iggy is expecting. Also, sorry this update took so long. Work sucks, then I was sick for 4 days.

Words: 1088

Tags: @asoeiki @violinbetty

Noctis slides downs the wall to floor with a whine, “I’m not cut out for this kind of menial labor. I can’t believe Specs signed us up for this. We did him a favor!” He looks at his peeling hands. “My hands are going to fall off.”

Prompto laughs quietly while scrubbing the stuck-on food from the pot, “It’s not that bad, Noct. Helping out once a month doesn’t hurt. And if you would wear the gloves, your hands wouldn’t be peeling.”

Noctis rolls his eyes, “I am not wearing those. I can’t even move my fingers.They’re for peasants.”

“Whatever you say, princess. If you help me with the rest of these dishes, I’ll put some lotion on your hands later.”

Noctis likes the sound of that. Of course, he likes anytime Prompto’s hands are on him, “Fine. And don’t call me that.” He pulls himself off the floor and starts drying the dishes.

***

Ignis’ phone pings with a new text message. He takes the phone out and looks at the message with a smile and slips it back into his pocket.

Cor has been spending the better part of an hour not so subtly watching the younger as he works on a project on the couch in his office. “You aren’t going to answer it?”

Ignis shakes his head and pushes his glasses to rest more comfortably on his nose, “It’s just Noct complaining how unfair his punishment is.”

“How much longer is the sentence?”

“They only have two months to go and it’s only once a month. Noct has a flair for the dramatic.”

As penance for meddling in his affairs, Ignis signs the two boys up to volunteer at the local soup kitchen, one saturday a month, for six months. While Prompto takes the assignment in stride, Noctis goes kicking and screaming. But they have not missed a day so far and Prompto likes that he gets a couple of hours with Noct without electronics.

Cor shrugs, “So does Regis. I see where he gets it from.” He stands to stretch his limbs and pours himself a glass of water.

The door to his office flies open at the same time the phone on his desk buzzes. Cor answers the phone on speaker while looking at Nyx with a sigh. “Yes, Monica, I know Nyx is here.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Leonis.”

“It’s fine. Hold all calls and visitors until I get this moron to leave.” He hangs up.

Ignis doesn’t look up from his task. The first few times, he was startled by the behavior of the two, but now it’s common place and he can ignore them for the most part.

Nyx flings himself down on the couch next to Ignis and ruffles his hair, “Hey jailbait.”

“Stop calling him that.” Cor smacks Nyx’s hand.

“I just add it to the list of nicknames people like to call me. Good afternoon, Nyx.” Ignis replies.

Nyx gives Ignis his cheesiest smile, “See boss, the kid doesn’t mind.”

Cor sits at his desk and massages his temples, “What do you want?”

Nyx props his feet on the table next to Ignis’ laptop, “I need you to go to this black tie event tomorrow.”

“Nope. It’s your turn. Besides, tomorrow is Ignis’ birthday and I promised him that I wouldn’t do any work. Sorry, Nyx. Too many things working against you this time.”

“But we have to go together and put up a united front. InsomTech have been twitchy since you changed the terms and they may pull out.”

“So let them. They’ve been hesitating for months now.” Cor wants the deal but his patience is running thin. Losing out would be a hit, but they can recover. The deal is Nyx’s baby anyway. Let him figure out how to keep them happy. “I changed the contract because it gives them too much power.”

Nyx decides changing tactics is in order. He sinks to his knees and grabs Ignis’ hands, “Ignis, please. Just this once. Please let Cor come out to play.”

Ignis can’t help but laugh at the childish display but he also wants to be selfish and keep Cor to himself for his birthday. “You know as well as I, that he can’t be convinced to do something he doesn’t want to.” Ignis leans in to whisper, “But I’ll do my best.”

Nyx relinquishes his hold on the younger and stands. “Great. I’ll see you both tomorrow then.” He practically skips out of the office.

Cor bangs his head on his desk.

Ignis gets up from his perch and walks behind Cor, slowly putting his arms around the man. “It sounds like a pretty big deal.”

“It’s always a big deal,” Cor mumbles. He sits up and swivels the chair to face Ignis.

Ignis straddles him and kisses along his jawline. “But he usually just tries to get you to go in his place.”

“Can we not talk about Nyx right now?”

Ignis stops, “I’ll forgive you this time but you have to make it up to me.”

“Oh baby, I’m gonna spoil you.”

***

Cor eyes follow Ignis around the room while he sips on his glass of champagne. Even though he bought the suit, he’s still taken aback at how well it fits his boyfriend. Ignis looks ravishing and Cor doesn’t want him in that suit any longer than necessary.

A worried Nyx interrupts his less than pure thoughts, “Can you get your mind out of the gutter for five minutes please?”

“Why? Practically everyone is thinking the same thing I am.”

“Yes, yes. But he’s yours. Anyway, Regis is coming over to talk terms and I need you focused.”

Cor straightens Nyx’s tie, “Calm down. I’ve known Regis for years. He’ll try to bully you, but if you stand your ground, he’ll see reason.”

“Cor. Nyx. So happy you could make it to my little get together. I’d heard you weren’t coming.” Regis flashes the two men a smile. His assistant, Clarus, stands stone-faced behind him.

Cor tilts his head. “A last minute change in schedule allowed for it. Was there something in particular you needed from us?”

“Not from a business standpoint. I understand and agree to the change on the contract. What I wanted to discuss with you is more of a personal nature.”

Ignis saunters up the group and Cor puts an arm around his waist and pulls him in, out of habit. He’s not interested in hiding his relationship with Ignis. “Oh? And what would that be?”

Ignis, on the other hand shrinks under Regis’ stare. Like any self confidence he has just shrivels up and dies.

Regis turns his hard stare on Cor. “Just what are your intentions toward my godson?”

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Two: Famine (Prompto x Reader) Chapter Four

Upon locating the key, the boys and their newly acquired ally headed back to the generator and activated it. A light on the controls flips from red to green, signaling it was up and running.

"Did it work?" Ignis inquired, unable to witness the small victory due to his injury.

"Yep! One more to go," Prompto cheerfully replied.

"May I?" (Y/n) asked with her hand outstretched, palm facing upwards.

"Uh, sure." Noctis handed over the generator key and the Horseman vanished. He glanced towards Prompto, wondering where she went. 

The blonde just shrugged in confusion, unsure of where she went. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the machinery suddenly activated. He grinned and cheered. "We've got the power!"

"Might not have it for long, though. Hurry up and move the machine," Gladio sternly stated.

"Yes, sir," the prince mocked in annoyance.

The boys return to the machinery's primary control panel where they find (Y/n) waiting for them. She activated the mechanism and the machinery came to life with a few puffs of smoke and an eerie squeal.

"Did you hear that?" Noctis asked the others.

"Sounds like we're clear!" Prompto happily exclaimed.

"Grand," Ignis said.

Gladio, still angry with with Noctis' decisions, snarled. "Then let's move."

As the royal retinue begins to make their way down the newly cleared path, the bodyguard stops in his tracks and calls everyone to a halt. "Hold up." Prompto and (Y/n) exchange confused glances while Noctis stops and turns to face Gladio. The shield eyes the raven-haired boy with a heated gaze. "You sure you're ready for this? You got what it takes?"

"To do what?" Confusion was written all across Noctis' face.

"To face your ancestors and convince them to lend you their strength. Got a long road ahead. Can you see this through? To the end?"

"Can and will," he responds confidently and strong. "Whether I like it or not, I've got a duty to fulfill-as king."

"You're damn right you do. Then that means you'd better start taking this seriously." Gladio walks on past Noctis, taking the lead deeper into the quarry.

As Noctis descended the path behind his shield, Prompto glanced towards (Y/n) with a sorrowful and embarrassed expression. "Sorry 'bout all this, (Y/n). You're not really seeing us at our best."

Famine simply offered a smile as she glanced between the sharpshooter and the tactician before her eyes settled on the freckled boy beside her. "You two like to apologize for the action of others. Don't make that a habit. And besides, I get into arguments with my sisters over the most ridiculous things." She tore her eyes from his and kicked a stone by her foot. "Although, I do feel like I contributed to the tenseness between Noctis and Gladiolus."

"Nonsense, (Y/n)," Ignis spoke up. "You are not at fault."

Unconsciously, Prompto reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently in reassurance.

(Y/n)'s head snapped up at feeling his warm hand grasp her slightly cold one. Ever since meeting Prompto, all she's ever felt is warmth and kindness. In her previous life, she didn't receive either from her parents. All she felt was pain and grief-felt as if she was worthless and no one would love or even want to be close to her. She squeezed his hand tighter, mentally thanking the boy for all he's given her in the month he's known her than her parents ever gave her in the twenty years she was a normal girl.

Prompto and (Y/n) separate, offering Ignis a hand whenever he needed one as they descended the sloping path. Mud was plastered to their shoes and they splashed through puddles to catch up with Noctis and Gladio.

When they arrived in the swamp and managed to regroup with Noctis and Gladio, Prompto's nose scrunched up when a rancid odor wafted through the faint breeze. "Man, something stinks around here. Don't slip and fall in whatever that is."

Reaching the large open area of the swamp, the five unknowingly discover the royal tomb. What disturbed them were the several large organic sacs hanging between tree roots that obscured the tomb from sight.

"What is this?" Prompto gags at the sight and smell of the sacs.

"I hate eggs," Gladio grumbled under his breath.

"Do we really wanna know what's back there?" Large squirming tentacles suddenly come out of the swamp, followed by the monster they belong to. Prompto gasped in fear as the creature rose from the murky water. "That looks like a mouth. Is that its face?!"

"What? What is it?" Ignis demanded.

"Something real bad!" Noctis yelled as he summoned his engine blade.

(Y/n) held out her hand and called upon her own blade. "Time to get up front and personal, gentlemen."

"Ugh, this thing reeks!" Prompto plugged his nose before summoning his pistol.

"Jut another reason to get rid of it quickly," Noctis stated.

(Y/n) was first to attack, her blade resting by her hip as she rushed towards the malboro. It swung its tentacles at her, but she nimbly dodged each and every one. With a powerful jump, she charged her sword with lightning and waited for all the tentacles to lung towards her. When they did, she swung her weapon and unleashed a wave of lightning. The malboro's tentacles fell limp from the paralysis of the attack, allowing the boys to attack without worrying about being smacked by one of the wiggling appendages.

Famine landed on the rancid monster's head, plunging her sword into its skull. The malboro broke free of the paralysis and shook her off, sending her into the murky water below. She landed on her feet and analyzed the monster more closely. "The lightning only stunned it for a short period of time? I must've not used enough mana to kill it."

To her left, she heard Prompto cry out as he was flung backwards. He groaned as he landed a few feet from Noctis. "Are you alright, Prompto?" She asked, blocking a tentacle that lashed out towards her.

"I-I'm fine!" Prompto shouted back as he pushed his body out of the water with a wince.

"You're lying!" The Horseman shouted back after hearing the Sword of Judgement whisper inside her head.

The blonde's brows furrowed after being caught in a lie. He forgot the sword she wielded is able to tell if a person is lying or telling the truth. "O-Okay... I-I need a potion..."

"On my way," Ignis soothes the younger boy. Even for a blind man, the advisor had no issue navigating through the water or reach Prompto and hand him a potion.

"Thanks, Iggy," the sharpshooter sighed before shattering the glass and healing his wounds.

Solace washed over (Y/n) as she saw Prompto was fine. Her comfort vanished when she heard a strange popping sound. Glancing around, she realized the sacs has bursted open with malboro babies. She rolled her eyes and growled under her breath. "Great. Babies..."

"Whoa!" Prompto yelled as he shot at one of the many hatchlings. "Look who's hatching!"

"Bust 'em up!" Gladio bellowed, bringing his greatsword down on a handful of mini malboros.

It felt like hours had passed since the battle begun. The group was able to eliminate the hatchlings, but they couldn't seem to kill the mother malboro. The four boys backed away from the creature while (Y/n) continued her quick assault, managing to slice off a few of its tentacles. She jumped back as the appendages regenerated, regrouping with the boys.

"It's useless," Gladio groaned in defeat.

Prompto glanced around at his friends in a frenzy. "What do we do?!"

"This might be a good time to panic," Noctis muttered, saying the first thing that popped into his head.

"No," Ignis protested. "There must be a way!"

The malboro has gone berserk. It releases its bad breath, causing everyone's eyes to water. (Y/n) pinched her nose and shook her head at the horrid stench. "Ugh... Disgusting..."

"It's too dangerous to approach if it keeps doing whatever the hell it's doing," the raven-haired prince exclaimed. "Gotta shut that thing's trap!"

As the malboro sucks in air and prepares to unleash its bad breath upon them once again, inspiration dawns on Ignis's face. "Noct, I have an idea." He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a magic flask. "If I may..."

The tactician hurls the magic flask down the malboro's gullet. A second later, flames erupt from the creature's throat. Ignis could hear his tactic had worked from the monster's pain cry. "Ah, as I suspected!"

"It really worked!" Prompto chanted as he watched the malboro's throat burn.

"Nice one, Iggy," Gladio commented.

"Now, we've a fighting chance," the advisor stated. Using Libra Elementia, Ignis torches the malboro to a crisp with help from the others. The monster's body curled up before disintegrated into nothingness. Wanting to know the results of his idea, he turned his head in the group's direction. "Is it dead?"

"It is-and it's all thanks to Iggy!" The marksman rallies.

Gladio nodded in agreement. "Iggy, you saved us."

"Seriously. We'd be plant food if it wasn't for you."

"Happy to help," the bespectacled man responded.

Gladio glanced towards Noctis, who had yet to express his gratitude. "What, no royal commendation from His Majesty?"

"None for you, at least," the younger boy scoffed.

(Y/n) sighed, watching the fight between the pair remain a burning, out-of-control flame. "This is ridiculous..."

"I'll say," Prompto whispered for only her to hear. "This is getting old real quick."

"I couldn't agree more," Ignis joined in on the whispering, expressing his own vexation of the arguing prince and his sworn shield.

The five wade through the swamp to where the eggs had hatched during the battle. Gladio crossed his arms, eyeing the remaining sacs that have yet to hatch. "Whisking them just makes a mess-better fry 'em."

"I've got this one." (Y/n) stepped forward, opening her palm and forming a fireball that consumed her entire hand.

"Whoa," Prompto muttered in amazement as he Gladio, Noctis, and Ignis stepped back to avoid the flames.

"Why're you surprised?" Noctis murmured to his best friend. "I can do the same thing."

"I know, but her fireballs are bigger and more destructive!"

Noctis rolled his eyes in disbelief before turning his gaze back to the Horseman.

Famine tossed the fireball at the eggs and they immediately caught fire. They watched the sacs burn before dropping and plopping into the water below. When they saw what was behind the numerous of now incinerated baby malboros, the blonde couldn't hide his excitement. "I think we found it!"

The soon-to-be king grimaced. "Just wish they found a better place to build it." Inside the tomb, Noctis acquires the Katana of the Warrior. He was joyous to see his arsenal growing bigger and bigger with each royal arm he collected.

He heard Gladio speak up. "Alright, let's haul ass."

For the first time since the fall of Altissia, Noctis agreed with his shield. "Yeah, let's."

As the royal retinue and the Horseman walk back out into the swamp, Ignis stopped and called out to his companions. "A moment?"

Everyone came to a halt and faced the advisor. "Is everything okay?" Gladio inquired.

"It bloody well isn't," he hissed in response. "And I won't suffer this pointless bickering in silence any longer. Let's be frank. My vision hasn't improved, and probably won't. Yet in spite of this... I would remain with you all. Til the very end."

The brute stepped forward with a scowl present on his face. "Sorry, but I object. War is a matter of life and death."

"But, we'll be there!" Prompto voiced.

Gladio turned his sharp glare towards the blonde. "It's not about us looking out for him!"

"Uh-huh. Well, then he should be free to choose."

"There's more to it than just what he wants!"

"I know full well!" The advisor shouted back. "I won't ask you to slow down. If I can't keep up, I will bow out."

Nostrils flared with anger, Gladio eyed Noctis scornfully. "What says "His Majesty"?"

"Noct, you are king. One cannot lead by standing still. A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back. Gladio, Noct will take his rightful place, but only once he's ready."

For a split second, Gladio is quiet before relenting and turning his back. "Have it your way. We're still taking a big risk." Gladio turns to look at Noctis one last time before walking off. "We better all be ready."

(Y/n) placed a hand on her hip, watching as Gladio's form grew smaller and smaller. "It seems I've dipped my feet in some boiling water without knowing."

Noctis rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh. "Yeah, uh... not a good first impression."

She shook her head. "Every group has their issues. If you need someone to straighten Gladio out, I know someone with an even more fiery temper who could help."

"I'll keep that in mind," Noctis smirked.

"Now," (Y/n) clapped her hands together. "You've someone to meet, Ignis."

<-----------<<<<<<<<<<

Back on the train platform, Ignis nearly tripped from exhaustion up the steps. When someone caught him before he fell, he thanked them before realizing it wasn't one of his friends or (Y/n). Whoever it was smelt like mock orange flowers, which was refreshing and slightly intoxicating.

"You must be Ignis," a soft, gentle voice stated as he kept his hold on the girl. She helped him to a nearby bench and let him sit, leaning his cane against the side of it.

Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio watched as the white-haired girl stood in front of the royal advisor. (Y/n) saw their confused expression and cleared the air. "Gentlemen, this is one of my sisters-Pestilence. She's well-versed in herbology. She knows various ways-ancient and new-to heal wounds of any caliber."

"A pleasure to meet you all," Pestilence greeted sweetly before turning her full attention back to Ignis. Gently, she cupped his face in her hands and traced the fresh scar. "Famine has filled me in on what happened. I've healed such wounds before, but it is a lengthy process. The herbs I need will require some time to retrieve, but I am willing to help you if you'll allow me, Ignis."

Unbeknownst to the two Horsemen and the three boys, Ignis found peace and comfort in Pestilence's gentle touch and soothing voice. Even when a small tinge of pain surged through his eyes when she touched his scars, he didn't want to push her away. When he replays her words in his head, hope bubbles inside him. "I am willing for such a prolonged process."

Pestilence smiled and trailed her hands down to his shoulders before pulling away. "I'm glad to hear it. Famine did say you were a patient man. Once I retrieve the herbs I need, I'll come to see you again. Until then, do keep the others in check." In the blink of an eye, the Horseman vanished.

"That was..." Noctis started but was unable to finish his sentence.

"Sudden?" (Y/n) smirked. "Yeah, but she knows what she's doing. Her knowledge of herbs knows no bound. You'll have your eyesight back soon enough, Ignis."

The train whistle echoes around them, signaling the train would be leaving in a few minutes.

While walking back to the train, Noctis asked his companions a question. "You guys mind if we stop in Tenebrae?"

"Might as well hop off," Prompto said.

"If it helps him move on," Gladio reluctantly agrees.

(Y/n) continued to listen to the group's chattering as they boarded the train. When all four were aboard, she went to ascend the small stairwell but she froze when an eerie, hostile presence made itself known. Snapping her head to the right, her (e/c) eyes narrowed as she tried to pinpoint the source of the presence.

"(Y/n), you comin'?" Prompto asked when he realized she hadn't boarded the train yet.

Famine tore her attention from the threatening presence and smiled up at the marksman. "I'm right behind you."