"Are you kidding?" Gladio says, not without disbelief. "You think the kids are gonna let you bow out? Pretty sure this dinner's to celebrate you being back, Iggy. The guest of honor can't just retire early." Even if he wants to, unfortunately. "You're the one they haven't seen in months. Just - spend the evening with them. Talk about things with Noct, if it helps any. Or put it out of your head for awhile. But you know this dinner with you is something Noct wants."
Which is really the siege engine against Ignis' defenses. Even if it's hard, Gladio knows Iggy will suck up just about anything he's feeling in order to do what's right by Noct - even more so than himself, and Gladio's no slouch in that department either. If anything, that's why Gladio's shocked Ignis would even suggest leaving early - because that's so clearly not what Noct would want that he'd never thought Iggy would even consider it.
Damn, just how messed up has his news left Ignis, anyway? He wants to feel guilty about that, but at the same time...what was the alternative? Lying to him? If he doesn't regret any of the decisions he's made that have led here, he can't force guilt now. But that doesn't mean how badly Ignis is taking it doesn't bother him - just that he realizes that whatever happens from here was an outcome he couldn't really have avoided.
"Anyway, maybe - just maybe - you can sell them on the idea of me needing to rearrange my apartment now that you're here. But what, the two of us rotating out so we're not in Noct's place at the same time? You think they won't pick up that something's wrong? If you want to play this off and make sure they can enjoy themselves, and I know you do, my plan's better." Which isn't something Gladio often gets to say, but Iggy's suggestions right now are almost uncharacteristically outlandish. Which is pretty damn worrying.
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Which is really the siege engine against Ignis' defenses. Even if it's hard, Gladio knows Iggy will suck up just about anything he's feeling in order to do what's right by Noct - even more so than himself, and Gladio's no slouch in that department either. If anything, that's why Gladio's shocked Ignis would even suggest leaving early - because that's so clearly not what Noct would want that he'd never thought Iggy would even consider it.
Damn, just how messed up has his news left Ignis, anyway? He wants to feel guilty about that, but at the same time...what was the alternative? Lying to him? If he doesn't regret any of the decisions he's made that have led here, he can't force guilt now. But that doesn't mean how badly Ignis is taking it doesn't bother him - just that he realizes that whatever happens from here was an outcome he couldn't really have avoided.
"Anyway, maybe - just maybe - you can sell them on the idea of me needing to rearrange my apartment now that you're here. But what, the two of us rotating out so we're not in Noct's place at the same time? You think they won't pick up that something's wrong? If you want to play this off and make sure they can enjoy themselves, and I know you do, my plan's better." Which isn't something Gladio often gets to say, but Iggy's suggestions right now are almost uncharacteristically outlandish. Which is pretty damn worrying.