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bgn846 · 3 years

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The Niflheim Experiment Chapter 13

The dust settled after fifteen minutes which allowed Ignis and Aranea to explore their makeshift prison. What Gladio had initially thought of as being one explosion had actually been two, thereby sealing them inside the hallway from both sides. Sighing quietly he turned to check on the others. Ravus was awake but had his eyes closed, his only movement being the hand that was carefully petting Luna’s hair. She was still unconscious but appeared to be comfortably resting and using her brother's stomach as a pillow.

Loqi hadn’t stirred once, since Luna had finished healing him. Gladio hoped he would be okay, the kid seemed fine but looks can be deceiving. Unwilling to relinquish his hold Gladio simply sat cradling the former Nif in his lap. So far Loqi was the only person who’d actually be able to relate to what he’d gone through. Well, not all of it, but at least the nearly being consumed by the scourge.

Suddenly wondering how long he’d been out after Luna had healed him Gladio couldn’t help but ask. “Ravus, how long did it take for me to wake up after Luna healed me?” The man in question groaned softly before shifting his head slightly. Aranea had been nice enough to lend her jacket as a pillow for him. She was rough around the edges but it was clear she had a strong desire to ensure the safety of those she considered allies.

“Wasn’t quick,” Ravus offered after a beat. “M’guessing nearly twelve hours or more.”

“Probably means blondie here is gonna be out for a little while longer then, huh?”

“Maybe, but he was in good health before he was corrupted, I’m sure that will make some difference.”

“Careful Ignis!” Aranea shouted disrupting Gladio’s train of thought. Looking over he was alarmed to see Ignis crouched down with his arm in between a rather large chunk of rubble.

“Nothing has shifted, but I need to see if I can feel an obstacle on the other side. If this debris pile is only a few feet thick we may be able to breakthrough.” Ignis defended as he pushed his arm even further into the small gap.

“Iggy, please be careful, I don’t want you to lose your freaking arm.” Gladio scolded, he was terrified the pile of unstable concrete would shift and trap him.

“Fine!” he huffed, “it’s of no matter, I can’t feel anything besides more hard surfaces.”

“Good then you can stop doing that,” Aranea commented right before she roughly pulled Ignis back and sent him sprawling backward on his butt. “You may be okay with endangering yourself like that, but I’m not.” She accused after Ignis shot her a glare.

The two came back over to sit down. It was clear they couldn’t escape from this place. They had no choice but to wait for backup or see if this Ardyn character would attack them again. The guy could easily set off another round of explosives and kill them all. That realization made Gladio’s stomach turn. It wouldn’t be his first choice of how to die but they were at the mercy of this mad man.

“So, tell me again what happened when you came in to get us?” Aranea asked once she’d checked on Luna and sat down to rest.

“We came in and then someone who looked like Luna approached us, but didn’t say anything. They were injured and kept holding out a hand for help,” Gladio explained.

“What do you mean looked like? Were they blonde and resembled Luna or--.”

“It was the oracle,” Ignis cut in. “If Gladio hadn’t stopped me from assisting her then I’d be in the same boat as Loqi.”

“So an exact copy of Luna? How’s that even possible?”

“I dunno, but when I ran it through with my sword nothing happened.”

“Wait you stabbed Luna?!” Aranea exclaimed.

“It was Ardyn!” Ravus growled, “he’s got magic remember.”

“Still, I never saw him impersonating someone, that’s creepy as shit!”

“You think that was Ardyn I stabbed?” Gladio asked in disbelief. “I thought it was a monster or a daemon.” The idea that he’d already come nearly face to face with this guy was not sitting well.

“I’m almost certain of it, Ardyn is a tricky bastard,” Ravus breathed out harshly.

“It would explain why he was able to seemingly disappear after you attacked.”

“How did you know it wasn’t Luna?” Aranea questioned with a furrowed brow. “If it looked exactly like her how’d you know?”

“Uh, I--,” Gladio wasn’t exactly sure how to describe how he knew. The feeling he’d experienced was nothing he’d ever dealt with before. It was like a sixth sense had awoken in his body, one that specifically reacted to Ardyn. “I felt bad, honestly. I can’t explain it properly but I knew it wasn’t Luna and that’s about it.”

“Huh, I wonder if butterball over there will have the same reaction as you when he wakes up,” quipped Aranea.

“Do let us know if you feel that sensation again,” Ravus added with a wave of his hand. “I’d like some warning, small or not, of Ardyn’s return.”

Nodding Gladio stayed silent, he couldn’t think of anything else to say. He couldn’t exactly see a way to beat someone that could survive being run through. He’d aimed for the heart, there was no mistaking it, but the fake Luna, or Ardyn, simply laughed and ran away.

A soft moan drew Gladio from his ruminations. Glancing up he noted that Ravus seemed very alert, his focus being on his sister. They all stared intently as Luna worked to regain consciousness. After a few minutes, she blinked her eyelids open and peered back at them owlishly. “Did we crash?”

Aranea laughed sarcastically, “no, we got blown up.”

Luna’s eyes widened at the admission, “Is everyone alright?”

“Yes, mostly, aside from some expected bumps and bruises we are all okay,” Ignis supplied calmly. “Though, I can’t say with certainty how Loqi is feeling as he hasn’t woken yet.”

“I healed him, I know he’ll be alright,” Luna affirmed with conviction.

“Until he wakes up to tell us otherwise, we’ll have to take your word for it,” Aranea sighed.

“Are we trapped?” Luna asked with worry as she looked around the dimly lit pile of rubble around them.

“I’m afraid so, I’m not sure what Ardyn wants from us but he’s clearly not done yet,” Ravus added while scowling.

“So far, our only advantage has been your ability to heal the scourge,” Gladio threw in to try and make himself feel better. Things were not looking good and he needed some form of good news to latch onto.

“I wish we could harness that power into a weapon,” Aranea huffed, “I know it’s probably impossible but I can still dream.”

Luna remained silent after the comment, it was clear she was thinking hard about something. “Wait, I might be able to bless an object, enchant it in a way. It might actually have an effect on him, it’s worth a try right?”

“When you say enchant what exactly do you mean?” Ravus asked with narrowed eyes.

“If I can heal the scourge then I must have power over him. I might be able to actually heal him!” Luna was getting excited and Gladio hoped she might be onto something. Though it was hard to see how in her current state. She still hadn’t sat up and looked exhausted to boot.

“You’re barely awake from passing out earlier, and now you want to go around making our weapons into instruments of the gods, themselves. Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” Ravus retorted.

“If he has the power to spread the scourge then he must be stopped, I don’t care at what cost.”

Groaning loudly Ravus threw an arm over his face. “You’re going to try no matter what I say aren’t you?”

Luna attempting to get up was her answer; she struggled at first until Ravus begrudgingly supported her back. “We don’t have much time, he’ll be back I’m sure of it,” she chided reaching out for her brother’s sword.

Watching the oracle work her magic was something to behold. Gladio wasn’t quite sure what he was seeing, but Luna appeared to be gathering her powers and somehow imbuing them into objects. Not that it was obvious except when you handled whatever she’d work on. His own broad sword now thrummed with new energy. Something similar to what it felt like when he used the armiger, but this feeling had more raw power behind it.

After about an hour Luna’s complexion began to pale. She was fading due to working so hard. Ravus noticed right away and ordered his sister to stop what she was doing. Figures Luna would be trying to literally energize every single weapon they had in their arsenal.

“I must finish this last one,” she murmured.

Wincing with pain Ravus sat up fully and gently pulled the dagger she was holding away. “Rest, I believe you’ve given us a fighting chance.”

“No, I – I must continu--,” she offered weakly before fainted mid-sentence and falling straight into her brother's arms.

“It’s selfish of me to let her push herself, but this may be our only chance at making a dent when it comes to Ardyn.”

“She seemed pretty excited about the idea, I don’t think she’ll hold it against you,” Aranea supplied as she stood to stretch. “How much more time do we have to wait before the cavalry arrives? I’m getting sick of just sitting here.”

“Would you rather the alternative?” Ignis asked. “I do think this barrier of rubble is keeping our attacker at bay.”

“Then what is he waiting for? Back up is coming so we won’t be stuck in here forever.”

“Perhaps the person he wants isn’t in attendance at the moment,” Ignis lamented. “I wouldn’t be surprised if his real target was Noctis.”

Panic gripped Gladio once Ignis’ words had sunk in. “Is there any way we can warn them? If he comes then Ardyn could attack when they arrive or go to the city to ambush him there. We’re divided and vulnerable!”

“Calm down!” Ravus growled. “We must stay focused or the fight is lost. I know you’re concerned but we can’t let our emotions rule.”

Gladio knew Ravus was right, but the idea still stung. Having to simply wait and see whether they would survive or not.

“Do you have any of those potions left?” Aranea asked suddenly. “We sorta need Luna to be awake if we actually end up catching Ardyn.”

“Damn, you’re right,” Gladio groaned. “Sure, she gave us magic weapons but without her to deal the final blow we’re kinda just left holding a ticking time bomb.”

“If we can hold him,” Ravus corrected.

“If he lets us get close enough to try,” grumbled Ignis.

“You lot are so depressing. I for one am not dying at the hands of a creepy dude. We need to help Luna right now and wait for backup.”

Healing Luna enough to wake her up ended up taking 2 elixirs and 1 potion. The oracle again regained consciousness looking exhausted and not at all rested. Gladio felt terrible for doing this to her but Aranea was right, she needed to be awake for them to even have a fighting chance.

“Wha’ppened?” she slurred.

“Waiting for Ardyn,” was the response that Aranea choose to offer as she paced the small space. “We needed you awake, sorry.”

Luna simply nodded and worked to gain her bearings. “How will we know when help has arrived?” she asked after a moment.

“I wish I knew the answer to that, but I’m afraid we will have to wait to find out,” Ignis sighed.

And wait they did, for nearly another two hours. The beam on their lone flashlight was growing dimmer by the minute. Soon it would flicker and go out leaving them trapped and in the dark. Gladio hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He was about to comment on what their backup plan might be when a distant rumble shook the floor. “What was that?!” he exclaimed hurriedly. “You all felt that too right?”

Based off the wide eyes peering back Gladio figured they’d heard and felt it as well. Wasting no time he began shouting at the top of his lungs. It didn’t take long for the others to join in. Ignis had to shush them a few minutes later when shouts could finally be heard through the rubble. Gladio felt like he could cry, they’d made it! Help had arrived. The only fear left was Ardyn.

The light had officially gone out by the time the others had broken through the immense pile of debris blocking their exit. Gladio had summoned his shield and done his best to keep the dust off of Loqi and Ignis. The only other shield in the armiger had been given to Aranea and she was protecting Ravus and Luna. The rush of stale, but to them, fresh air hit and they all sighed collectively in relief. It was at this moment they could finally see their rescuers.

An entourage of glaive stood on the other side of the now penetrable barrier with Cor and Nyx in the lead. They all hobbled out of their little concrete prison quickly, the risk of getting stuck again too terrifying to consider.

“Who needs medical attention?” Cor asked once they’d cleared the small opening that’d been created with what appeared to be a lot of hard labor and sweat. Granted the glaive had a few more tools at their disposal than they’d had. Namely what looked like a pneumatic jackhammer. That would explain the odd noise they’d heard early on.

We’re all mostly tended to, Marshal,” Ignis offered as he kept walking forward. “I’d like to get outside of this facility as soon as possible.”

Cor nodded and waved the remaining glaive forward. The small sliver of daylight coming out from the door was a sight for sore eyes. Unable to slow his pace Gladio practically ran the rest of the way and promptly collapsed on the grass outside. Thank the astrals they’d made it out of there!

“Big guy? Did –did we die?” Loqi rasped a second later from where he still wrapped in Gladio’s embrace.

“Loqi! Ha you’re alright! We’re still alive but it was a close call there.”

“What happened?” he asked tried to roll his head to the side to see around Gladio’s bulk.

“We got blown up,” Ravus spit out as he approached. He looked the part considering Ignis was half dragging him along.

“Shit, no way, I didn’t wake up at all!”

“Yes way, now do you think you can walk?” Gladio checked as he went to release his hold.

“Walk? Are you fucking kidding big guy? I’m going good holding my head up.”

“Need some assistance?” Cor asked as he strode up next to them.

Gladio shook his head and peered around to see how they’d all managed to arrive. A combination of militarized vehicles was spread out around Aranea’s dropship, dusty from their rigorous journey. It was at that moment that Gladio spotted something terrible. There, in one of the trucks was a familiar silhouette. “We need to leave now! You shouldn’t have let Noct come!” he shouted in a panic.

Cor merely shrugged, “He was acting like a baby, so I let him come.”

Opening his mouth to argue, Gladio quickly thought of another problematic issue. “Is the king with him?”

“He couldn’t leave Insomnia. You know your father wouldn’t have let him anyway.”

“Still --,” Gladio didn’t have time to finish when a dark shadow passed over them, he could only look over in shock as the rays of the setting sun highlighted the figure of Ardyn standing before them once more.

“Oh joy, you’ve brought me more playmates, how exciting,” he drolled. “I was beginning to think you’d never show up.”

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#ffxv #fanfic #gladio

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tarotdeckshuffle · 5 years

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IgNyx Day Five!

Super late, but it’s been a roller coaster of a week. Hope you enjoy!

All is revealed, including the feelings that have been suppressed for so long.

Rating: T

Prefer to read this on AO3? You can do so here!

Taglist: @idiotflowerex, @laststory1013, @sayaoqueen, @jophinabean, @mysme-already, @ffxvignyxzine

If you like what you read, please consider supporting me on Patreon or buying me a Ko-fi!

Spectral: Chapter 5

For so long, memories are all they had of each other. It felt so surreal to be here.

The men had camped at the crystal for days, hoping that Noctis would soon be released. It was the seventh day when even Prompto admitted that he wasn’t returning anytime soon.

So began the long trek out of Gralea. Dameons and MTs still patrolled the abandoned halls, stressing the need for calculated steps and quiet movements.

Nearly lost in the maze of concrete tunnels, the men walked single file, stopping briefly only to rest.

“We’re lost…” Gladio grumbled, looking down at the shoddy beds of their current bunk room. Prompto peeked around the great shield to see what he was staring at. As it was, the bed just looked horribly unmade, with the sheets balled up at the foot of the mattress. But Ignis stood in the corner of the room, quickly realising what was going on.

Nyx walked to the opposite side of the bed. “Leaving a breadcrumb, eh?” The Glaive stared down at the bed.

“So, I’m guessing that’s your signature ‘messy bed’ style?” Propto piped up, finally realizing what was going on.

Gladio didn’t find humor in the moment, though. He roared and flipped over the bunk beds. The metal frame toppled over onto the terrified Glaive staring up at it!

“NO!” Ignis yelled, reaching out for Nyx, but he needn’t have worried. Where man and metal should have collided, there stood only mist. The bed had passed straight through Nyx and clattered to the floor.

Both Gladio and Prompto turned to Ignis, alarmed. It took a moment for the stratigan’s nerves to catch up to his mind as he realized what was going on.

His outstretched hand came to his mouth as he cleared his throat. “We are lost if we lose our wits now. We must remain calm and figure our way out of this. One mistake is not the end of us...not yet.” Ignis paused to take a deep breath. “Now, I suggest both of you rest and collect yourselves. I’ll take first watch.”

Gladio grumbled as he and Prompto slinked away to find beds. Ignis made for the bench just outside of the bunkroom.

As he sat down, the normally composed man stared down at his hands. So much had happened and so much was still happening. But everything felt...numb.

“I think you’re going to need a manicure after this,” a voice chimed next to him.

Turning, Ignis saw him: the Glaive that walked in his dreams.

“This must all be some sort of dream. Some final illusion the gods have bestowed upon me. You’re not actually here…” he lamented, running his hands over his face. Ignis let his racing thoughts run away with him.

This couldn’t be real.

It wasn’t real.

Why was this happening?

Until he was brought back by the feeling of a warm hand over his.

“I promise you, it’s real. But only for you.”

“But...how?” Ignis was on the verge of breaking down from all of the days of stress.

“That’s...a long story…”

A frazzled stratigen looked up to meet Nyx’s gaze, daring him to see if this story even compared to what had already happened.

“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you…”

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

For years, everything Nyx had done had been in the hopes of saving Ignis. From reconnaissance and sabotage on the Empire, to personally outfitting the Prince’s regime.

But sacrifices must be made in war. Nyx knew he was the only one who could save the people of Insomnia. The only one who could give the world a fighting chance to see tomorrow. In a moment of truth, he made the decision: he had to save the city, even if it meant his own life. This was his small part in saving all of Eos. If he didn’t help save the planet, his love would be lost as well.

As the sun rose on that fateful morning, Nyx’s world turned to black. He didn’t know what the afterlife would look like, but he expected something bright. A place like old Galahd where his family was waiting on him.

The Glaive opened his eyes, only to find darkness. Silence echoed throughout the space. Nyx called out, but no sound left his lips.

Click...click...click…

Footsteps rang through the nothingness.

Click..click...click…

They grew louder.

Soon, there was a light on the horizon.

Nyx squinted as a figure came into view. It was Shiva in full icey beauty.

“Do not forget your vow,young Guardian.” Her cool voice rang but her lips did not move.

“I haven’t, but I thought…” Nyx thought more than he said.

“Now is when your duty begins…” Shiva turned, gesturing with her hand to a scene playing out on Eos.

The astral plane could weave through time as the user saw fit. Nyx was seeing Ignis’s sacrifice play out before him, long after his own death.

In a matter of seconds, the Glaive watched as his love was struck down by the Usurper, even with the power of the Lucii. A silent scream left his lungs.

“Do you uphold your vow?” The cool voice asked again.

“YES!” Every fiber of Nyx’s being screamed his answer as soon as the question left Shiva.

“Then you have my blessing. Go…” The icy goddess snapped her fingers with a smile.

Instantly, Nyx was at his love’s side. “Not him…” he cried to himself as he ran to hold Ignis.

The young advisor was on the cusp of death, his body unfit to hold life. Tears ran from Nyx’s eyes as he saw what his sacrifice had amounted to.

“You’re still needed,” he plead, holding onto the man he had dreamed of for so long.

From his place on the edge of the beyond, the Glaive saw both the physical and the astral. The late monarchs of Lucis stared down at the men from the astral plane.

“I have been warned that you wish to bargain for this man’s life…” a great voice boomed.

Nyx definitely looked up at the Old Wall. “Yes! I will give whatever I must to save his life.”

“You cannot,” a woman’s voice rang out. “For he has bargained with his life, of which you can not substitute.”

“I don’t care if he made a deal, let me make another one!” Nyx cried out. He stared down at the dying face in his arms, trying his best to think of what he had to bargain with.

“Take my death in exchange for not taking this man’s life! Let him live and in exchange, I shall never leave this plain!”

For a moment, the late monarchs were silent. Simply turning to one another for guidance.

A familiar voice spoke up. “Young Glaive, you would have a place on this wall should you wish to join us, for you died under the Ring of the Lucii. Are you truly willing to give this up?” It was King Regis, ever kind, even in death.

Without hesitation, Nyx spoke up. “Yes.”

“And the gods vouch for him,” Shiva’s voice added, ringing out from all directions.

The Founder King’s figure looked down at the new Guardian. “Then it is so.”

The Old Wall disappeared into a blinding light as Nyx felt a heavy weight fall over his features. But he smiled, as his love began to heal before his very eyes.

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

The clock overhead ticked the hours away as Ignis listened to Nyx’s story. The whole while, he sat in silence.

Finally, the advisor spoke, “Then I assume I’m the only one who can see you…”

“I would agree with your assumption.” Nyx replied, trying to match Ignis’s tone. “I signed up to be your Guardian, so I guess I only exist for you.”

But the advisor scoffed. “Signed up? That’s what you make of all this? You simply ‘volunteered’ to become the guardian for a stranger?!” His voice rose as he became more irate. “You sacrificed DEATH for me?! Do you even begin to comprehend the gravity of the situation?!”

Just as Ignis finished, the door to the bunkroom creaked open. A sleepy Prompto rubbed his eyes. “Iggy? You okay?”

Quickly, Ignis pulled on a mask of serenity. “Yes, Prompto. I’m fine. Go back to bed, I’ll come get you when it’s your shift.”

The gunslinger mumbled and stumbled back to his bunk.

As Ignis turned his attention back to the specter before him, he was met with a determined gaze. Nyx had stood up to his full height, inches above him.

“I know what I gave up. And I didn’t do it for a stranger.”

Ignis stared up into the dark sky of Nyx’s eyes. His body couldn’t comprehend what was before it, for his eyes saw the man in front of him, but his body could feel no warmth, his ears no breathing, and his nose no scent. It was like the stratigan was still dreaming and this fantasy would soon disappear before his eyes.

Ignis swallowed, trying not to show how flustered he was. “If not for a stranger, they why did you do this?”

The Glaive’s eyes softened. “I did it for a man I couldn’t get over. For a man who deserves more than this world has granted him. The one who deserves his happy ending. The one I needed to help.”

Ignis blushed as he turned away. “I didn’t ask for whom you did this, I asked why…”

A gentle smile crossed Nyx’s face as he gently turned Ignis’s head back towards him. “I did this because I love you.”

Although he heard them, Ignis wasn’t sure how to comprehend those words. He felt shocked but so joyful. Questions began to race through his mind before Nyx silenced them.

And in that moment, the greatest desire both men had gently carried with them for so long, was fulfilled.

Ignis had never imagined he would kiss a ghost, but in this moment, Nyx felt more real to him than anything else in the world. He could feel warmth against his lips and magic against his body. Every thought vanished from his mind as his whole body gave in to the touch he had wanted for so long. But new sensations, sensations he had experienced with no other lover, also came to greet him.

These foreign sensations flowed like a river through his own senses. He felt warmth throughout his body and a glowing happiness in his soul. But he also felt something strange: a weight on the very fiber of his soul that wasn’t meant to be there, like he was being weighed down in deep water.

Just as Ignis thought his consciousness would be overwhelmed by the contradictory sensations, they ended. He opened his eyes and gazed upon the sight of his Glaive.

Nyx leaned his forehead against Ignis’s. “Did you feel it too?”

The advisor nodded lightly. “Everything felt...heavy. Was that what you feel?”

The Glaive smiled. “Yes, that is the weight of duty. That is the weight of what I would do for you.” Ignis started to pull away. “Shhh, don’t worry. It’s not so bad. Through you, I felt...real...again.”

The advisor pulled his love close. “Than that is how I shall repay you, my Guardian.”

#ffxv #ignyx week #ignyx #ignis x nyx #ignis #ignis scientia #nyx #nyx ulric #final fantasy #final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15

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nigelspookerjee · 5 years

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CRY💀 Thoughts💜

“Current assignment? What assignment?!” Nancy, you’re jinxing yourself already

I still remember the first time I played this game and that feeling I got when the warning comes up on the screen before everything begins. Sp00py nostalgia vibes 👻

Ned: “Hey Henry, I’m worried about you, but not worried enough to get off my ass and check on you myself. Imma send my gf instead and then bitch at her a few games later about how I never get to go anywhere.”

Not even in the house two seconds and I’m already getting attacked. Renée and Henry are the worst hostesses ever and this vacation already blows.

Nancy, you are taking a drink from someone you don’t even know; it could literally be poisonous. But go ahead, chug it anyways

Actually, if Renée just poisoned Nancy now, it would have saved her a lot of trouble in the end. Game over. Roll credits!

Henry: “maybe I should call THEM and leave THEM on hold and see how THEY like it.” Me when I’m on the phone with any customer service representative from any company ever.

Henry definitely wore eyeliner, had an emo swoop, and listened to “Ohio is for Lovers” on repeat in his angsty teenage years. But I’m not judging because honestly...same

But Henry is hot af. Broody definitely works so fucking well for him

Henry: “I come across as a little needy sometimes.” Be needy to me, Henry. Be my stage five clinger. I don’t care. Suffocate me with your broody love.

“My parents died in a car crash when I was eight.” Nancy *thinking to herself*: “damn, I didn’t even get the chance to ask him what happened to his mother.”

Henry: “no offense but are you sure you didn’t just pass out from the heat and humidity and dream that you saw this skeleton dude?” No, but in a few games further down the line, I will hallucinate seeing a ghost due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Hahahaha forshadow af.

“What was in that concoction you gave me?” You are supposed to ask this before you take a drink from a stranger, Nancy.

I. HATE. SPIDERS. ANIMATED OR NOT.

I love this game so much. The setting, the atmosphere, music, characters, storyline, puzzles, EVERYTHING.

“Finding Fish by Bill Kessler” OF COURSE BILL AND HIS NORTHERN PIKE POPS UP ONCE MORE TO HAUNT ME *eye twitches ever so slightly*

Henry: “Do you always go digging in other peoples’ fire places?” Actually, yeah. That’s how I found out some poor sap of a homeless handyman was living in the basement of the house he was renovating lol

Bruno and the Bolet family as a whole are so fascinating and I must learn everything about them

Nancy just ate a whole bunch of candy from Renée’s stash and then proceeded to vomit all over her bedroom floor. *places newspaper on top of puke and slowly backs out of the room, whispering to herself*: “I was never here...”

Ned: “it’s about time you called!” “Call again, like soon.” Um, I listen to no one or no thing, u controlling piece of cardboard

Ugh, I love Bess so much. She’s such a precious, innocent bean.

Bess is the friend who gave into peer pressure in high school: “you wanna underage drink and smoke some weed?” “Absolutely, unequivocally no.” “Come on, it’ll be fun!” “Ahhhh...okay!!”

Lamont’s Lament: Part 1

*grits teeth* these motherfucking wasps around this mother fucking tree

Henry: “Don’t worry, we got plenty of food here, beds-“ CAN I SLEEP IN UR BED? I’LL BE THE BIG SPOON!

HOTCHKISS IS BACK. SWEET AS THE SMELL OF FRIED CHICKEN!

Poor Hotchkiss has early on-set Alzheimer’s and Nancy is shaming her for it

“Sorry ‘bout your loss.” “...my loss?” Nancy, you got so annoyed that Hotchkiss couldn’t remember your name, but you can’t even remember what you said just a minute ago..pot meet kettle¿

Yeah, scurry the fuck out of my way, you hairy eight-legged motherfucker and give me my damn key before I squash you with the bottom of my shoe run away screaming like a lil bitch

Great, time to talk to creepy Gilbert and cringe as he openly hits on a girl at least 30 years younger than him. There is no May-December romance going on here, buddy.

Thanks for the gumbo, Shorty, but it does not make up for the fact you attempted to murder my best friend. And no, she has not picked those vegetables for you yet

Okay, I just laughed my ass off. After eating spicy gumbo, Bess burped out fire. I had no idea she was a dragon

I played this goddamn skeeball machine so many times. The things I do for eyeballs and Easter Eggs.

Summer, Summer, Summer. Smh. Now I ain’t sayin she a gold digger...

Henry: “I bought her a bunch of CDs to keep her occupied while I was gone.” Yeah...Summer is just gonna sit in her room, listening to the CDs you bought for her on a loop, just waiting for you to get back...

YOU DESERVE BETTER THAN SUMMER. YOU DESERVE ME.

I love Iggy so much. Dressing him up is adorable af

🎶 Bernie with a tooth so sweet. Likes marshmallows but it’s you he’d love to eat🎶 (I sang this to the tune of Brigitte’s Ballad)

Renée: “oh my, I forgot to warn you about Bernie, didn’t I?” *grins evilly* Could you contain your excitement that I was almost devoured by a crocodile until I fucking walk away?

I actually like the cemetery scavenger hunt, a lot

I love how Iggy just huffs and dips the fuck out when you dress him up as a clown. “You get nothing for this. I ain’t coming back with anything. WHO’S THE CLOWN NOW?”

Lamont’s Lament: Part 2

I seriously feel for Lamont. All he wants to do is run his curio shop in peace, and here comes this blonde twister wreaking havoc all over his night

Someone give Bess a Xanax. Poor girl is gonna have a panic attack with all of the stuff Nancy is asking her to do

Infiltrating the Jolly Rogers meeting is definitely my favorite sequence in this game

Y WOULD U CALL ME WHEN U KNOW I’M AT THE MEETING UNDERCOVER, NANCY? Thx for almost killing me, ur bff xoxo

Yup, just toss the priceless skull up to Renée like it’s a freakin’ football. You are not on the same team here, Nan.

Bernie the Immortal crocodile. Who would have thought at the beginning of the game, we’d end up with this resolution.

Hahaha of course, Lamont is out in the swamp looking for Bernie. If anyone in this game deserves the skull, it’s deff him anyways.

One of my favorite games, ever. So happy I replayed it🖤

#nancy drew #clue crew #cry #cry thoughts #nancy drew playthrough #thx for reading another long ass post #u guys are srsly gr8

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hickorywind · 6 years

Text

tagged by: @disiintegration (thank you!!)

write down the next 10 songs that come up on shuffle and your fav lyrics:

1. freedom - wham!: Like a prisoner who has his own key But I can't escape until you love me

2. i’ll never find another you - the seekers: If they gave me a fortune My pleasure would be small. I could lose it all tomorrow And never mind at all

3. the great pretender - brian eno: Lose the sense of time, nail down the blinds And in the succulent dark, there's a sense of ending

4. afraid - nico: Cease to know or to tell Or to see or to be your own Have someone else's will as your own

5. broken flag - patti smith: Weaving though the eyes pale What will rend will also mend The sifting cloth is binding And the dream she weaves will never end

6. these things take time - the smiths: either I'm spellbound, but a woman divides And the hills are alive with celibate cries or My eyes have seen the glory of the sacred wonderkind

7. listen - generation x: You're the face upon a playing card A colored painted cold visage

8. shades - iggy pop: You gave me a present The paper was blue and green I unwrapped it with pleasure These are the best shades I've ever seen

9. amateur hour - sparks: It's a lot like playing the violin You cannot start off and be Yehudi Menuhin

10. daffodil lament - the cranberries: I have decided to leave you forever I have decided to start things from here Thunder and lightning won't change what I'm feeling And the daffodils look lovely today

i tag: @luciferpls, @frostflowers, @sugakookieroll, @mitskies, @my-man-syd @joeyramones, and uhhh anyone else that want to do this!

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absolute-barbarism · 6 years

Text

Falling Behind: Chapter 1 of 3 (FFXV)

(Fever February, Day 6: Fever Dreams. Also on AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/13734927/chapters/31556886

Summary: Overtired and overwhelmed, Prompto's shortcomings catch up to him in his nightmares.

Chapters 2 and 3 :D)

Nothing could beat a campfire at the end of a long day. Or, few days. There was the patient wait filled with jokes and laughter for nothing short of 5-star cooking, the cool breeze in the air, and the lulling, gentle crackles from the fire that brought him closer and closer to sleep-

It was almost painful for Prompto's heavy eyelids to shoot open. Tsking under his breath, he gave his cheeks a few weak slaps before resigning with his head hung, knowing full well he couldn't keep this up, and that everyone else knew full well too.

"If you keep nodding off like that, you'll fall face first into that fire." Just as expected, Ignis's warning pierced through his exhausted fog. He stiffened.

"Go get some rest already," Gladio agreed. "No point dozing off out here."

"It's cool, really," He could feel the quiet that fell over them just reeking of a faux pas, as they hadn't at all meant for it to be open for discussion. "You and Iggy have been up for way longer."

"You don't drink Ebony." Once more, he stiffened at the dismissal in Gladio's voice. If he pressed on, he was sure to get anger, too. They were already eyeing him like they were getting ready for another battle.

"It's about to start raining, anyway. Neither of us are going to stay out here for much longer," Ignis added calmly. But even his sympathy was useless; Prompto simply shook his head, ignoring the straining ache that it put on his neck.

"Yeah, you are..."

It was their turn to stiffen up, passing a glance at each other with hesitance weighing heavy upon them. "Maybe I don't drink that nasty stuff, but that just proves that I can stay awake even without it, doesn't it? Besides, I like rain. I can't ev-" A decent outburst was prepared, but the cough burning in his chest cut him off from that, too. His own body felt like it was trying to shut him down, and it was driving him crazy while he could do nothing but hack into the crook of his elbow.

"You're exhausted, Prompto. You're not yourself."

"He better not be," Gladio muttered. Just being talked back to was already getting to be this huge ordeal, and that was just the problem, as Prompto was dying to point out behind his raw throat. Ignis could say anything he wanted to him, Noct gave him orders, wasn't it obvious who was at the bottom of the totem pole here? He wanted to say that, but he wouldn't have had the chance even if his coughing ceased. Gladio's expression had changed, and so had Ignis's.

"Are you all right?" It wasn't as if he was planning on trusting an answer anyway. He'd stripped off one glove for the sake of pressing his hand too forcefully against Prompto's forehead, and the only fight he could manage back was tiredly holding onto his wrist. "As I thought," Ignis said. "He's burning up, Gladio."

"Why are you telling him that instead of me...?"

"Well, that's 'cause he needs rest. Let him sleep in tomorrow morning and he'll be good as new," Gladio shrugged.

"I'm literally right here."

"I don't think it's just that," Ignis continued. "It could be an upper respiratory-"

"I'm sick of being a kid to you!" He lamented the impact lost on his wobbly legs when he jumped up rather than bravely standing tall like he was hoping to, but that was the sacrifice that had to be made. They wouldn't see him any differently anyway. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to put much fierceness into his words either, only coming up with a cracking whine that could only succeed in proving the point against him. "That's what I'm sick with! I'm just- Who else would you ignore right in front of them? Do you think I'm like, four years old? I- I know you're just looking out for me, I just..."

Already, he was regretting it all. Just hearing himself made him cringe, and not because of the thick gravel in his voice. He had no doubt that this had done nothing but cement his position as the baggage, tag-along, total fourth wheel, if that even made sense. Not a whole lot of things where actually making sense.

"I just..."

That was right, he realized. Not a lot of things were making sense. Like at what point he began holding onto both of Ignis's arms, or when his body became lighter than a feather. He did feel feverish. He felt a lot of terrible things, but numbly. Even his hearing was numb.

"Iggy, I didn't mean..."

"Is it cold enough? Here, hold him steady. I've got it."

And once again, they were ignoring him. He didn't know if he actually said anything or just thought it in his head, but they were probably ignoring him. The support he was holding onto disappeared all of a sudden, yet returned at his back much firmer this time, holding him from behind in a way he wasn't sure how to process. It just felt floaty, like he was in space except it wasn't cool or fun at all, and he'd rather come back down whenever he could.

With a sudden dampness at his neck, he recognized the sensation of a wet strip of cloth, and the tenderness that could only belong to Ignis's hands, since Gladio had rather carelessly tended to a scrape or two of his before. It was beyond relief, but he was still floating enough to give him motion sickness. Or just regular sickness, he pondered, but either way, it hit him too hard to think about it before something shaky was pressing against his mouth. Useless; whatever sickness came up anyway and spilled over his pitifully trembling hand, and likely onto someone else as well, judging by the cloth jerking back.

"Holy-" Gladio's hold on him disappeared too, leaving his jello reincarnation of a body stranded against what felt to be the heaviest gravity he'd ever experienced. He staggered forward, then back.

"He's going to fall," Ignis warned, "Gladio-"

He couldn't have cut it closer. Just as Prompto's legs gave way, he grabbed underneath his arms and knelt there, stunned, equally trying to process all that'd happened in too short a moment. It seemed for once, even Ignis was having trouble finding something to say, and instead fell quiet while the cloth remained frozen in his hand. He held his breath for a second, then knelt as well, ultimately finding no signs of consciousness after giving his shoulder a half-hearted shake.

"...I think it's more than just a fever."

"Yeah. I'm starting to think that, too."

#ffxv #final fantasy #promnis #whump #hurt/comfort #illness/injury #angst #fever february #fanfiction #prompto argentum #ignis scientia #gladiolus amicitia #fever

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captain-zajjy · 6 years

Text

Solstice, Chapter 27 - A Final Fantasy XV Story

Pairing: Ignis x Female Original Character

AO3 | Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

The last week had passed as though Valeria was living in a dream; only the constant darkness, the poverty, and the rumbling in her stomach indicated otherwise. It didn’t matter. None of it did. After all these years, Ignis was hers, and she was his, and they were together in a way that she’d once thought impossible.

The unspoken tension that had always existed between them, that sadness for things that could never be, was gone, obliterated - replaced with a very juvenile awkwardness and embarrassment as they explored each others’ bodies and began to define just exactly what ‘together’ meant for the pair of them.

For the next few hours, however, together would have to wait - Cor Leonis had summoned them to his office so they could report the strange daemons they’d encountered at Fort Vaullerey to some scientist.

“She’s a bit eccentric,” Ignis had said of the researcher. “Well, perhaps more than a bit.”

Valeria and Ignis made the now-familiar journey to the high school-turned-Hunter HQ, and up the stairs to the second floor. In the corner outside the stairwell, Valeria spied Prompto chatting with a young woman in coveralls who seemed to hang on his every (numerous) word. As soon as he caught sight of them, he quickly said his goodbyes and fell into step with Ignis and Valeria.

“Was than Sandy? Wait, no...Cindy?” Valeria asked.

“Nah,” Prompto said. “Just a fellow chocobo enthusiast. Hey, we should start a fan club!” Prompto jabbed her with a pointy elbow. “What do you say?”

“Typically, I don’t think real-life animals have ‘fan’ clubs,” Ignis said.

“Well, then, we’ll be the first,” Prompto said.

Valeria gave him a bemused smile. “We’ll see.”

“Oh, hey.” Prompto paused to dig into his pockets. “Check it out!” Several brass cylinders sat atop his palm.

“Bullets?” Valeria asked.

“Yup!”

Valeria tilted her head. “Okay...”

“They’re not normal bullets. Look.” He held up one of the items in question. “Rubber bullets. For training. The Marshal says we can’t train with live rounds.”

“For good reason,” Ignis said under his breath.

Valeria wasn’t entirely sure what Prompto wanted from her. “That’s cool, I guess.”

Prompto tapped her on the arm. “Training for you. It’ll be fun, right?”

“Ah, that's a generous offer,” Ignis said.

“Oh, I...” Valeria frowned. “I don’t want to be a Hunter or anything.”

“I know,” Prompto chirped. “Just like, self-defense, that kinda thing.”

“Well...” Valeria looked between Ignis and Prompto, both offering her encouraging smiles. “Sure, I guess. Thanks.”

“Alright!” Prompto pumped his fist in the air. “Chocobo fan club meeting, then target practice. Sweet.”

Before Valeria could object, they were at the door of Cor Leonis’s office, and Prompto raised his hand.

“Knock, Prompto,” Ignis said.

“I was gonna!” Prompto said defensively. “Tell him, Val.”

“He was,” Valeria admitted.

“You’re learning,” Ignis replied. “Excellent.”

“‘You’re learning,’” Prompto muttered under his breath, his attempt at Ignis’s accent almost laughably poor. After he made a loud show of knocking, Cor opened the door and let them in.

Ignis insisted Valeria take the only seat, electing to stand behind her chair, while Prompto leaned on the wall next to them.

“Is Gladio not here?” Ignis asked.

“He’s under the weather,” Cor replied with a frown. “According to Iris.”

“Nothing serious, I hope,” Ignis said.

“Nothing Cup Noodles can’t cure, I bet,” Prompto replied.

The other occupant of the room was a woman wearing large glasses, her dark, frizzy hair tucked beneath a crumpled bucket hat. She was scribbling furiously on a torn piece of notebook paper, seemingly oblivious to the conversation around them - and Cor’s multiple attempts at clearing his throat.

When she finally set her pen down, she looked up and exclaimed, “Oh,” as if just now noticing their presence.

“Professor Sania Yeagre,” Cor announced.

“Formerly of Duscae University, currently head of the Daemon Research Department of Lestallum,” Sania added. She listed her credentials flatly, like one simply stating a fact, rather than a boast.

Valeria’s eyebrows shot up. “There’s a Daemon Research Department?”

“There will be,” Sania replied. “As soon as I get some research assistants. Speaking of, are you-”

“A pity, we’re all terribly busy,” Ignis quickly interjected. He then let out a small cough, as if to say, trust me.

So rather than question it further, Valeria rose offered her hand in greeting. “Valeria Soleil,” she said. “Former vice-president of a company that no longer exists.”

Sania merely acknowledged her with a nod, then her gaze slid between Ignis and Prompto. “So, that friend of yours really was the Prince. What a shame,” she lamented. “He was a great research assistant.”

“To the matter at hand,” Cor interjected, clearly eager to get this over with. “The daemons you encountered at Fort Vaullerey.”

“Yes,” Ignis said. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Do you ever stop?” Prompto asked.

“About that encounter,” Ignis clarified. “I have a theory, if I may.” He told the story backwards, beginning with the daemon mass they’d fought in the hangar, and ending with the blood they’d found outside on the pavement.

“I believe that the daemons inside the building attacked that individual, then dragged him outside to share with their fellows. I’ve never seen something like that before.” Ignis rested his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “In the past, they gathered in groups, but it was never coordinated. And they certainly did not...share.”

“Coordination...” Sania muttered under her breath, her gaze a million miles away. “...assimilation...the groups...the virus...yes!” She slammed her hand down so hard on Cor’s desk that Valeria jumped. “It wasn’t sharing,” Sania said, like it was all suddenly, painfully obvious. “It was anabolism.”

“A-what-a-what now?” Prompto asked.

“The synthesis of a complex structure from simpler ones,” Sania said. “Yes, of course!”

“You’re saying the daemons took that person, not to kill or consume, but to...become one of them?” Ignis ventured. “That level of intelligence...”

“Is unprecedented.” Sania’s dark eyes were gleaming with excitement, entirely opposite of the horror that Valeria felt.

“Because of the Imperial experiments?” Cor asked.

“Maybe.” Sania shrugged. “Maybe it’s evolution. Adaptation. Fascinating, isn’t it?” No, Valeria thought. Not at all. “Nature always finds a way to survive.”

“Nothing about daemons are natural,” Ignis said. “They’re a curse.”

Sania dismissed that with a wave of her hand. “That’s just religious hogwash. The Starscourge is like any other organism - its only objectives are to reproduce and survive. Hmm...” That faraway gleam was back in her eyes. Sania turned back to her notebook paper, and began to jot something down as she mumbled to herself.

After a loud cough, Ignis finally said, “Is there anything else you wish to ask?” Sania only acknowledged the question with a flick of her wrist.

“I think we are done here,” Valeria said to Ignis. The two of them and Prompto attempted to bid the scientist farewell, and then returned to the hallway.

“Hey, can I-” Prompto’s eyes darted between Ignis and Valeria. “Can I talk to you guys about something?”

“Of course, Prompto,” Ignis replied. Valeria nodded.

Prompto drew them both over to the same corner next to the stairs where Valeria had spotted him earlier; idly, she wondered if this spot was Prompto’s office.

“Iggy,” Prompto began, shifting from foot to foot. “The first time we were at the Fort - was that stuff there? The cages and...and the other stuff.”

“The experiments, you mean,” Ignis said.

“Yeah. Your memory’s better than mine, so...” Prompto’s big blue eyes were looking up at Ignis expectantly, almost pleading.

“No,” Ignis replied with a frown. “Such things were not present during our first foray into the Fort.”

“Dammit,” Prompto muttered. “Why though? Why now?”

Valeria nodded. “You’re right. Before the Darkness, all their research made sense - it was evil and cruel, but it made sense. They were trying to conquer Lucis. But now...what’s the point?”

Ignis idly tapped his cane against the floor as he considered her question. “Why, indeed. I believe there are two possibilities. The first,” he held up his index finger, “is that, Imperials being as they are, had orders to conduct their research prior to the Darkness, and simply continued with their tasks as they awaited further instructions.”

“Well, that’s definitely possible, knowing the Niffs,” Valeria said. “I don’t think they even take bathroom breaks without getting three forms of approval.”

Prompto laughed nervously as Ignis continued. “The second, and more troubling possibility,” he said as he raised his second finger alongside the first, “is that these are new orders. But from whom?”

“...Ardyn?” Prompto ventured, his mouth twisting in a snarl around the name.

“Ardyn?” Valeria interjected. “Who's that?”

“The Imperial Chancellor,” Ignis supplied, then shook his head. “And I don’t think so. If he wanted to rule, he could have easily seized power from the Emperor years ago. Everything about his behavior seems to indicate he prefers to work from the shadows and manipulate those in charge.”

“But the Emperor’s dead,” Prompto insisted. “And the...the h-head scientist, the High Commander-”

“Caligo Ulldor’s dead?” Valeria interjected. Good riddance, she thought.

Prompto gave her a quizzical look. “No. Ravus was the High Commander.”

“Ulldor.” She felt Ignis’s grip tighten on her arm for just a second. “How do you know that name?”

“They...” Valeria closed her eyes, quelling the phantom feeling of pain erupting along the side of her face. “They said Lord Ravus got moved to some other position and Ulldor was in charge, back in Insomnia. They paraded him around on a stage and everything.” Valeria wanted to tell Ignis the whole truth - she really did - but not with Prompto there.

“Hmm.” Ignis furrowed his brows. “Well, I don’t know what’s become of Ulldor. But Lord Ravus is decidedly deceased.”

Valeria frowned. Ignis had been so certain that if they removed the men at the top, the Empire would crumble. It was one time where she hated being right.

“The Emperor was pretty old,” she said. “I’m sure he had children, maybe even grandchildren, nieces, nephews...”

“Imperial inheritance is not strictly patrilineal,” Ignis explained. “But your point still stands. There are certainly people still amongst the living who would be deemed fit to succeed the Emperor.”

“So the Empire’s still out there?” Prompto whispered, looking vaguely distraught. “Still trying to take over everything?”

“I said it was a possibility,” Ignis clarified, his voice gentle. “Don’t trouble yourself, Prompto. Whatever comes our way, we shall endure it.”

“I know, I...” Prompto looked down at the floor, scuffing the toe of his boot on the tile. “I just don’t want more people to die.”

“No one does,” Valeria offered, although there was a short list of exceptions she had to that statement, starting with one Caligo Ulldor.

“Shall we check in on Gladio on our way home?” Ignis asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

“Huh?” Prompto looked up. “Gladio? He’s probably just hungover.”

Ignis clucked his tongue. “I would expect he’s ailing with something more serious if it kept him from his duty.”

“Nah, dude. Have you tried the stuff he’s been drinking lately?” When Ignis shook his head, Prompto wrinkled his nose. “He tried to give me some last time I was over there. It smelled like the stuff you used to use to clean our wounds.”

“Oh, dear,” Ignis muttered. As the supply of legitimate liquor in the city rapidly dwindled, Valeria had heard of people improvising all sorts of questionable methods to produce alcohol; it wasn’t at all surprising that these ‘homebrews’ left imbibers feeling seriously ill.

“Like I said,” Prompto went on. “Nothing some Cup Noodles can’t cure. And probably a lot of hurling. Anyway,” he stretched his arms overhead, “I gotta go help with breaking in the new recruits. Can you believe it? Me - in charge. See ya!”

In his apartment’s tiny kitchen, Ignis stood facing the sink, drying the evening’s dishes and cutlery with a towel before putting them away in the cabinets to his right. Behind him, a pair of arms encircled his waist, a head leaned against his back.

“My compliments to the chef,” Valeria said.

Ignis smiled, at both the physical contact and that statement. “Rationing is making it difficult, but he is doing the best he can.” He’d finally resumed using the stove and oven for cooking; Valeria helped by keeping an eye on things and ensuring he didn’t inadvertently set anything on fire. It had been weeks since Ignis had actually gone to bed feeling full - the rations were enough to keep them from starving, but little more than that.

Valeria squeezed his sides. “Like I said - my compliments.”

“You have my thanks.” Ignis placed the final glass back in the cupboard and turned around to face her. “Not just for the compliments. For...for everything.” He wished he could better articulate his gratitude for all she had done for him in this dark time, for all the happiness and comfort her presence had brought him.

Ignis’s fingertips walked up her arms to rove the planes of her face, and he tried to connect the shapes he was feeling to his memory of her appearance. The majority of the time, he viewed his blindness as a hindrance, a source of frustration and sometimes embarrassment, an obstacle that he simply had to find a new way to overcome. But right now, feeling her smile and knowing he was unable to see it, that he would never be able to look upon her beautiful face or see his affection for her reflected in her eyes - the only way to describe that was loss, a loss he grieved ardently. He tried to take comfort in his memories so as not to dwell on the sadness of it all.

The muscles of her mouth and eyebrows twitched beneath Ignis’s fingers, like she was growing confused or irritated with him.

“Permit me a few more moments to admire your face,” he implored. He felt her cheeks grow hot, and he chuckled. “Why are you blushing?”

“I don’t know.” Valeria’s eyelashes fluttered against his skin. “I guess I haven’t felt pretty in a long time.”

That admission seemed so absurd to him that Ignis nearly laughed out loud, but stopped himself, knowing she wasn’t joking. “Why ever not?”

Valeria sighed and leaned into his palm, placing her own hand atop his. “Being ordered around, corralled into tents, constantly on the run - it made me feel...” She trailed off as she searched for the right word.

“Like an animal?” Ignis supplied.

“Yes,” she said with a nod. “Like an animal.”

“And now?” he asked softly. “Do you still feel as if you’re in a cage?”

“No.” Ignis felt her smile once more. “I feel safe here. Protected.”

He couldn’t help the way his back straightened at that statement, the way his shoulders and chest suddenly felt a bit broader. “Good,” he said, leaning down to plant a kiss on her forehead. “I am glad to hear it.”

Valeria took Ignis by the hand, leading him over to the couch in the center of the room. “What are you going to tell the others?” she asked. “About us.”

“Nothing,” Ignis replied. “It’s none of their business.”

Valeria laughed. “Somehow, I doubt Prompto gets that.”

“He doesn’t,” Ignis said. “He can find someone else through whom to live vicariously.”

It’s my life. Mine. Such a simple sentiment, yet one Ignis had forgotten through the years, trying to live up to his uncle’s expectations, trying to do his best to serve crown and country. He had always endeavored to prove that he wasn’t like his late father, a wastrel and a fop, whose frivolous spending had driven the already-waning House of Scientia into debt, and whose reckless folly had driven himself and his young wife into the side of a mountain during a late-night snowstorm. Your father was born with every advantage, Ignis’s uncle had once said to him. And, one-by-one, he squandered them all.

So, Ignis had kept his head down. He did as he was told, respected his betters, and always put others’ needs before his own. And, most of the time, he derived a real satisfaction from that, but somewhere along the way, Ignis’s own wants and needs had been lost. Uncovering them now was a work-in-progress, both frightening and exhilarating in turns.

“What are you thinking about, Iggy?” Valeria asked.

“My parents,” he admitted.

“Oh.” Her tone suggested she hadn’t been expecting such an answer. “Well,” she put a hand on his arm, “I’m sure they’d be proud of you.”

Ignis inclined his head. “I’d like to hope so. And you...” He straightened his neck. “Your mother would be as well.”

Valeria paused. “I don’t know,” she said quietly. “I can’t help but think if she were here now, she’d already have all of Lestallum running like some well-oiled machine.”

He shook his head. “Your mother was certainly a formidable woman, but I somehow doubt that.”

“I don’t know, I...” Valeria sighed. “I always felt like a knockoff. Like if anyone looked too close, they could tell that I was just a phony, trying to be like her. Like I was never good enough.”

“Nonsense.” Ignis slung his arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss onto the crown of her head. “You’re one-of-a-kind.”

“Flatterer.” Before he knew it, Valeria shifted and was straddling his lap, her hands on his lapels pulling him in for a kiss. A kiss which inevitably deepened until their tongues were intertwined and Ignis’s heart was pounding, thinking he had never tasted anything half so sweet.

Physically, their relationship hadn’t progressed past this stage, that even a child would consider innocuous and tame. Valeria made him feel fumbling and bumbling, like he was all hands, like his legs were always in the way; with her, he remained in a stunted state of adolescence, that bewildered boy standing on her mother’s porch after his first kiss.

Awkwardness aside, Ignis’s old-fashioned sensibilities dictated that there was a proper order to things, the correct way to formally woo and court a woman - and it didn’t involve jumping into bed with her the first moment one felt a stirring in his loins.

He felt more than a stirring now. It was almost embarrassing how quickly Ignis, master of self-control, roused at her touch, her mouth on his. Nearly a decade of longing was distilled into a tightness in his chest and in his trousers, one she absolutely had to be aware of by now.

When Valeria twisted her hips, relieving the pressure on his aching crotch, Ignis fell back on old habits and apologized.

“For what?” She laughed against his mouth. “Being attracted to me?”

“Er...” Here she was, leaving him tongue-tied once more. “For...well, for prodding you, I suppose.” Ignis knew his face had gone beet red. Specs...you’re a moron.

Again, she laughed and kissed the bridge of his nose. “I, um...” Her voice had suddenly grown quiet, almost shy. “I could, um...”

He felt her fingers on his belt buckle and swallowed hard. “Wait.” He grabbed her hands. “Allow.... Please allow me to reciprocate, first.”

Ignis didn’t even care that that sentence didn’t make sense. All he could think was, this is happening, as she allowed his fingers to explore the slim, smooth planes of her bare thighs, as her fingers curled in the back of his hair. This is actually happening. Buzzing filled his ears as his hand slid beneath her skirt, grazing the fabric of her underwear.

Beep-bzz.

Dear Gods, Ignis thought, feeling Valeria’s breath hitch against his face. I may not last long enough for her to reciprocate.

Beep-bzz. Beep-bzz.

He paused. That sound wasn’t the blood rushing in his ears. It was coming from across the room.

“Is...” Ignis had to cough to keep his voice from cracking. “Is that your phone?”

“W-what?” Valeria whispered in his ear. The beeps immediately followed by a buzzing vibration sounded once more. “Dammit,” she muttered. “No one ever calls me. Why now?”

Why now, indeed, Ignis lamented. Aloud, he said, “It could be EXINERIS with another task for you.”

And, because they were both still learning how to be selfish and how to say ‘no’ to their betters, Valeria slid off Ignis’s lap with a sigh of frustration, while Ignis couldn’t help but groan. If nothing was done about this, he was going to be miserably sore in the morning.

He heard her snatch up the phone. “Three missed calls,” she said. “I don’t recognize this number. Oh!” The phone buzzed again. “It’s a message.” She walked back to Ignis as she read.

“‘Hi, pumpkin. I just made it to Lestallum. Can you come get me down at the gate?’”

“‘Pumpkin?’” Ignis chuckled, bemused. “Who in the world calls you ‘pumpkin?’”

Next to him, Valeria froze. “My dad.”

#final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #ffxv #ff15 #ffxv fanfiction #final fantasy xv fanfiction #ignis scientia #ignis x oc #prompto argentum #prompto #cor leonis #sania yeagre

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chorusfm · 6 years

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The Living End Announce New Album

The Living End will release their new album, Wunderbar, on September 28th. Pre-orders are now up. Track Listing * Don’t Lose It * Not Like The Other Boys * Otherside * Death of The American Dream * Drop The Needle * Love Won’t Wait * Proton Pill * Amsterdam * Too Young To Die * Wake Up The Vampires * Rat In A Trap Wunderbar, The Living End’s eighth album, came together faster than any album the band has ever made. After deciding to write and record a new LP in September 2017, the band booked recording and preproduction sessions in Berlin, Germany, for January 2018, giving them four months to write an entire record. “We had limited time to write,” recalls Cheney. “We were freaked out by it at first but it turned into a good thing because it meant full steam ahead.” And full steam ahead they went: from its initial, harebrained conception, The Living End ended up writing one of the most raw, conscious, and politically vital albums of their career. Some artists can’t work under pressure; The Living End, it seems, thrive on it. Living in a space with no heating, Cheney, Owen and Strachan felt the brunt of Berlin’s icy winters. But if the band hadn’t been pulled out of their comfort zone, there’s no way they would have been able to put together a record like Wunderbar. “Berlin’s such an amazing place,” Owen said. “There’s no better place in the world for rock and roll bands to make dirty, gritty rock and roll music.” Decamping to the city where icons like Iggy and Bowie and Eno was a huge inspiration for the band, and helped tap into the same punk spirit that initially made them so famous. This punk spirit is encapsulated in “Don’t Lose It”, the album’s pummeling, driving lead single. Built around iconic Cheney pearls like “It only takes one split decision/ To end up in a head on collision,” “Don’t Lose It” is a portrait of The Living End as they are in 2018: fiercely proficient, proudly rebellious, and emotionally resonant. Elsewhere, subtle shifts mark exhilarating new ground for The Living End. “Otherside,” a tale of jealousy and ambition, is slyly melodic, an anthem through and through. “The grass is always greener,” says Strachan of the track. “But sometimes you have to stop to look at what you have. You soon realize that things could be much worse.” It’s the kind of lyrical nuance that the band has become so good at over the years, and which they perfect on Wunderbar. The album’s tenor is encapsulated in “D.E.A.T.H.,” Wunderbar’s best and most political song. It doesn’t sound like anything else – it’s The Living End through and through, and feels like the kind of song Cheney was born to write. “After having lived in the States for almost seven years, I felt sympathetic towards them,” he says. “It’s become a bit of a laughing stock. The Cadillac broke down.” “D.E.A.T.H.” isn’t your typical ‘Fuck Trump’ anthem though; it’s also a love letter to what the country used to be, and what it could be. What begins as a rousing, scream-along anthem – with backing vocals from Die Toten Hosen, Germany’s biggest rock band, too – ends as a raw, acoustic ballad, lamenting the death of the American Dream. It’s moments like these that show Cheney’s depth as a songwriter, and how far he’s come since writing songs like “Prisoner of Society” all those years ago. It’s a perfect representation of The Living End in 2018. Some bands grow old, and make ‘dad rock’. Some bands fizzle and die out. The Living End, however, are only just getting started. --- Please consider supporting us so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/linked/the-living-end-announce-new-album/

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qtrainreviews-blog · 7 years

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The Argonauts- A Memoir in Poetry

Despite the universal acclaim of this book, I can’t let this go. My passion for this book, tells me I still need to share my love. The words – poetry really—bind together so many ideas and so fluidly that I couldn’t believe I’d never heard it like that before. Although officially titled a memoir, it’s made of a million small tight essays both personal and political.

This choice combination suits her story. In a bit borrowed from Leo Bersani, Nelson laments, “you can be victimized and in no way be radical,” personal lives are not meant to be examined, but people do it all the time with LGBT+ people. In telling hers and her partners stories, Maggie Nelson forces the reader to acknowledge the ordinariness of her life, and therefore how strange it is -the alienations and the abuses they suffer. Nelson does not dramatize her pain or struggle; rather she looks with wonder upon the good things while refusing the bad. She feels like the hope at the bottom of Pandora’s Box.

Reading Maggie Nelson feels like diving into a pensieve of her thoughts. There are texts from Judith butler, Eve Sedgewick, DW Winnecott all swimming around as though Nelson were contemplating their significance right in front of you. But as she and the Barthes and the Argonauts know, it is just the shell of who she was and what she thought during the moments in which she wrote the books. They are the skin off the snake who was smaller. Her honesty is apparent, even as she mentions things that have been edited out (her self doubt, for example, in the forms of many deleted sorrys). But the truth of the emotion in that moment still remains.

In an early passage, Nelson describes one the difficulties of her and Harry’s relationship as her penchant for writing about herself so publicly. There needn’t have been worry on his end, for although there are many private details of their lives given Harry (and Iggy their son) feels removed. Nelson’s overflow of personal details about herself leaves anything less than the details of anyone else’s greatest dreams and anxieties feeling distant. Her love, strike us a deep and warm.

Nelson’s intimacy is daring. No other work has captured the gravity warmth and enlightenment that love carries. In making her private life public, Nelson took a chance on her space being invaded and pared. But for those of us who loved the Argonauts, we know this only the truth of the moment, and that can never be captured again.

#the argonauts #maggie nelson #the argonauts review #book review

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captain-zajjy · 7 years

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Solstice, Chapter 1 - A Final Fantasy XV Story

Pairing: Ignis Scientia x Female Original Character

Here’s the opening chapter to the new story I’m working on, featuring an original character I created for the world of FFXV. Ignis was my very favorite chocobro from the start, and by the end, I think he deserved some happiness (with a massive heaping of angst along the way). This story will mostly take place during the timeskip in the game, will obviously contain massive spoilers, and should be mostly canon compliant. No idea when I’ll actually start posting updates to this on the regular, so for now, I hope you enjoy the preview!

Special thanks to my beta-reader and idea-bouncer, @calilumina.

This late in the evening, the cavernous lobby of the Royal Energy Building was all but empty, save for a few stragglers working overtime. Ignis Scientia was there to see the one person who was always working late: Valeria Soleil. Vice-president and heir to the company, top of their class at the Academy, and all-around lovely individual.

A familiar-looking security guard gave him a wink as he approached the elevator to the upper floors, a look which Ignis pointedly ignored. He would think one of the wealthiest corporations in Insomnia could hire more than one night guard, but it was always the same bloody man on duty every time Ignis passed through. It’s not like that, you fool. It never had been, and it never would be. Not in this life, anyway.

The thought made Ignis sigh as the elevator zoomed upward toward the executive offices. Valeria had been his closest friend at the Academy, the only person in their class who was able to keep up with him intellectually, to match his genuine enjoyment and thirst for knowledge. And, had circumstances been different, she could have been more than a friend. So much more. It was something that had never entirely been said between them, but they both knew.

And those feelings had not entirely been eroded by time and distance. When Valeria opened her office door, idly twirling the wavy brown hair thrown over her shoulder, he felt his breath hitch, his heart beat a little faster.

“Iggy.” Valeria smiled, her teeth straight and white. “I’m glad you could stop by.”

“As am I,” he replied, doffing his suit jacket and hanging it in the narrow closet near the door. He had last seen her three weeks ago, during that ever-elusive, narrow window when they both had a bit of free time. It wasn’t a date - never a date - just two old friends chatting over a cup of Ebony. He wanted to visit with her one last time before departing for the Noctis’s wedding.

Valeria cut an attractive figure in heels and an impeccably tailored skirt; Ignis couldn’t help but admire her slim curves as he followed her into the room, taking a seat opposite her at the desk.

In truth, the office was nicer than anything occupied by members of the Royal Council back in the Citadel. Twice the size with a quarter of the clutter, it was all clean lines and simplicity in shades of white and grey. Two of the walls were floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic vista of the twinkling lights of the city, the Citadel looming beyond, its ubiquitous presence constantly reminding Ignis of his duty. As if I would forget.

Elegant glass bookshelves were filled with engineering and physics reference books, some of which Ignis recognized from their studies at the Academy, many he did not. Valeria’s desk was long and wide, polished to a sheen by the cleaning staff whenever she deigned to leave the office.

It was all very stylish and impressive and utterly sterile. There were no pictures of friends and family, no posters of the exotic locales she wished to visit. The decor was exceedingly neutral: inoffensive artwork and sculpture, reminiscent of something one might see in a hotel lobby, that Ignis just knew her mother must have picked out for her.

He recalled their visits to the Royal Museum of Art and how Valeria was always drawn to the complex, difficult works - the pieces whose meanings were always shifting as new details emerged upon each subsequent viewing. But those sorts of things might ruffle a shareholder’s feathers, might assert some facet of her actual personality that someone might not like. It was Ignis’s hypothesis that her mother had wanted not so much a child as a blank repository into which she could entrust her own dreams and ambitions.

“A royal wedding,” Valeria mused, snapping him back to the present. Reclining In her high-backed desk chair, she looked more like a queen than corporate scion.

“More like a royal wrangling, if I’m being honest.”

Valeria arched an eyebrow. “Really? The Prince isn’t interested in her? He could do a lot worse.”

Ignis noted the hint of resentment in that last statement. Her mother had been trying to arrange a marriage with a nobleman since the day she graduated the Academy.

“Noctis isn’t interested in much of anything that doesn’t involve sleeping in,” Ignis said. No, he lamented.

“Then I hope, for your sake, that Lady Lunafreya is an early riser. Oh!” She snapped her fingers. “I nearly forgot to ask: you’ve got to send me pictures of her wedding dress.”

It was Ignis’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Hearing wedding bells, are we?” He tried very hard to sound nonchalant.

Valeria scoffed. “Hardly.” He wasn’t sad to hear that. “I read that her dress was designed by Vivienne Westwood, and I need a new gown for the benefit gala this Fall.”

“I see.” Ignis busied himself with cleaning off his glasses, unable to quite look her in the eye as he asked, “And who is the lucky gentleman this year?”

Valeria fixed him with a look that was somehow both admonishing and wistful. “I don’t know. My mother’s compiled a long list of ‘suitable candidates.’”

And my name isn’t on it, he thought. No, he knew. His position as royal advisor certainly carried its fair share of clout, but Valeria’s family already had plenty of power. What they lacked was respect, the kind that came from a storied bloodline and an ancient name. Her mother had been born in a slum, attended the Academy on one of those charity scholarships, and no amount of money or brilliance would ever let the Lucian upper crust forget it. And he, a foreign-born orphan, had little to offer on that score.

“What about you?” Valeria asked. “Who’s your date for the wedding?”

Ignis snorted at the thought. “If I ever have the time for such things, I assure you, you will be the first to know.”

The flush that crept up her cheeks was enough to make him blush, too. Perhaps he shouldn’t have spoken so bluntly, but it was true. His position afforded him very little in the way of personal time, and that was, well, not fine, but it was something he had accepted a long time ago. And Valeria deserved better than that, more - so much more - than he could ever give her.

Maybe they were just torturing themselves by meeting like this now and then, but until she told him not to, he would seize these moments when and where he could and affix them in his mind, cherish her simple smiles and infectious laugh and whatever time they could spend together.

“Iggy.” She’d caught him staring.

“You look quite nice this evening.” Not that she didn’t always look nice; it was just that after three weeks he couldn’t help himself from remarking on it.

“Ignis,” Valeria said, her hazel eyes imploring. “Don’t.”

Ignis let out a heavy sigh and fiddled with his shirtsleeves, but he didn’t apologize. He’d never apologize for telling her that she was beautiful.

“When do you have to go back?” Valeria asked by way of changing the subject, her eyes begging him to stay, her mouth set in a grim line of acceptance that he always had to go.

Ignis checked the time on his phone. “Noctis should still be at dinner.” The Prince was dining with his father tonight, and undoubtedly getting an earful about how to behave around his new bride. It was nice to let someone else do the nagging for a change.

A small smile spread across Valeria’s face, the kind of smile Ignis liked to think was just for him, and then she opened one of her desk drawers, producing a deck of playing cards and a small bottle of top-shelf brandy.

“Drinking on the job?” he asked, shuffling the cards, not bothering to ask what she wanted to play. He knew. They always played the same card game, both unable to find another opponent who provided any sort of challenge. Valeria poured a generous serving of alcohol into two small glasses.

“Maybe you just bring out my rebellious side.”

It was Ignis’s turn to flush and ask her to stop, and he quickly looked down at the desk to deal the cards.

A few sips of fantastic brandy and a few more wistful glances later, and it was evident they both had drawn absolutely terrible hands - there would be no winner here tonight, just someone who lost less.

“Ah, well,” Ignis said, tossing his cards onto the glass desktop in defeat. “Perhaps the Six will be kinder to us next time.”

Across from him, Valeria smiled. “Until next time, then.”

#ignis scientia #ignis #ignis x oc #ffxv #final fantasy xv #ffxv fanfiction #ff15 #final fantasy 15 #ff15 fanfiction #preview

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