uhmani | TDM #14

If the main hub and its features don't appeal to you, that's perfectly fine. This is the perfect time to configure your Digitized Technical Friend or your DTF status. A DTF is similar to a dæmon from His Dark Materials in that it is connected to and a reflection of a character's soul. These DTFs take shape accordingly and are projections similar to the NPCs. Think of them as your own personal Clippy except less annoying. Hopefully.

Once that's set-up, there are other locations of the main hub to investigate! You can visit the training grounds, music lounge, library, and onsen. Also, feel free to leave an offering for the deity of sleep (Hypnos) at his shrine! You can even visit The Peacekeeper themselves on the second floor. They're always happy to have visitors! They're also conveniently where you might place a complaint about that status of the main hub and its amenities. Even if you do complain, The Peacekeeper will encourage new inhabitants to set off and find their own place to live out in the simulation.

Granted, the housing market in the afterlife isn't exactly robust. It doesn't help that nearly every place you find has a leaky roof or broken window. No, unfortunately, that will need to be fixed the peaceful way. If you'd like more lighting or even cozier clothes, simulation inhabitants are reminded that 'peaceful interactions' are very important!

It might be a good idea to stick close to someone you know, for now, since even the smallest amounts of intimacy might see subtle changes occurring where they're staying. Perhaps that broken window is now fixed, the grime and dust seem a little less, or the floor doesn't creak quite as loud.

Larger changes, however, will only come after demonstrating more powerful peaceful interactions. If you want new hardwood floors or a fresh coat of paint on the walls, you're going to have to demonstrate how well you 'get along' with others against them first.

THE SEXY COMPENDIUM

Upon arrival to Amani, new inhabitants will be notified almost immediately of the sexy compendium that's uploaded to their DTF! This compendium lists all of the flora, fauna, unique geography, and miscellaneous items in Amani that might be worth looking at.

This database will update with seasonal highlights or places and items that might follow a theme! For example, the current theme is love for Valentine's Day and dragons for The Year of The Dragon!

While established inhabitants already know about all these things, it can't hurt to be reminded of what this simulated afterlife has to offer!

The Dragon Onsen

outdoor pool

dragon statue

blue tint

They suddenly look a lot more draconic than they did before.

Heart Jellies

jellyfish shaped like hearts

Wyverns

Taasunni Beach, and can range far into the Aditus Grasslands

Love Blossoms

gorgeous, pink flowers

pheromones

SEXY STAMP CARD

If you're wondering about these 'peaceful interactions' that keep being mentioned or what the kinks of the month are for... Here's your answer! Upon arrival, all characters will receive a digital copy of their very own sexy stamp card.

Sexy Stamp Card

Issued by: The Peacekeeper

1 2 3 4 ♡

6 7 8 9 ♡

❤

<div style="width:100%;padding:10px 10px 0;font-family:garamond, georgia, serif;font-size:20px;font-style:italic;letter-spacing:2px;text-align:left;">Sexy Stamp Card</div>
<div style="width:100%;padding:0 10px 10px;">Issued by: The Peacekeeper</div>

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<div style="max-width:300px;width:100%;margin:-10px auto 0;text-align:right;font-size:10px;"><a title="code credit!" href="http://10billionghosts.dreamwidth.org" style="text-decoration:none;color:#eee;">❤</a></div>

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Completing peaceful interactions (i.e. kinks) will reward characters with stamps that they can turn in for re-gains and many other things! While the example one here is the standard issued card by The Peacekeeper, players are more than welcome to customize it how they see fit. Have fun with it! NOTES

★ Feel free to check out the sexy compendium and also use whatever is listed there as you like! What's mentioned on the TDM are just suggestions and not only what's available! We want interested players to be able to make their own fun with what Amani has to offer and not feel limited to just the prompts provided here.

★ We are currently at 24/40 slots taken! Anyone wishing to claim a character must have an invite from someone currently in the game and follow the proper rules in place to be accepted into the community!

NAVIGATION

F.A.Q. ★ RULES ★ CHARACTER CLAIM ★ LOCATIONS ★ MAIN NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If the questions hadn't seemed so urgent, who knows how long Noctis would have stood there clutching Ignis close to him? But, as Noctis is quickly beginning to realize, he's the older one, now. Which means figuring out what to say and what not to say is on him. He can finish expressing his feelings after they deal with the whole time and memory gap business.

The date alone is enough, of course, but as Ignis goes on...yeah, Noctis remembers exactly when that was. It wasn't long after that Regis made the Kingsglaive what it is. Or...was. And he remembers trying so hard to read and retain those notes, too, because...frankly, he had been an ungrateful little shit to Ignis that week, and he felt awful about it once he was able to get his head out of his ass. The dinner, he doesn't remember, because they've eaten instant noodles together so many times since then that they all sort of blur together.

"Oh, man...you're from pretty damn far back. Like, uh..." He glances up and silently counts with a bit of help from his fingers. "Eight years ago, from where I'm standing. And I haven't seen you in..." Shit, if he tells Ignis how long it's been, he'll want to know why, and Noctis isn't sure he's ready to explain any of that quite yet. Or maybe ever. But the realization hits him like a brick and his face falls. "It's, uh...it's been a while. Longer than I wanted or hoped. Must sound weird coming from where you did, but." He blinks, realizing his eyes are wet. "I really missed you, Specs."

Ignis will remember that.

...But for now, that's all he'll do. Not when Noct is looking right at him, eyes wet, a kind of tug in his voice as he says he missed him, and Ignis is already reaching into his shirt pocket to pull out a handkerchief.

"Well, I won't make that mistake again," he says, voice taking on that soft tone he reserves just for Noctis. There's a part of him that wants to wipe the tears away with his own hands, but a part of him is still too used to when things were prickly, between the two of them. Instead, he just offers him the handkerchief, to take as he wants. "I apologize for my absence, Noct."

Noctis can't help a brief chuckle at seeing Ignis pull a handkerchief out of his pocket. Always ready for anything, that's his Iggy. But it brings to mind things he doesn't want to remember right now, not when he's got Ignis right here in front of him, an Ignis who hasn't gone through any of it yet. The thought makes a few more tears well up.

He takes the hanky and blots at his eyes with it, but he blinks at that apology. "What? No, it wasn't like that. It was...I'm the one who was absent. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. Not just for that, but..."

He glances down, idly fiddling with the handkerchief. "For everything. You've always, always been there for me, and I never returned the favor. All I ever did was give you grief." He looks up again to gaze directly into those wise green eyes he's missed so much. "I'm so sorry, Ignis."

Prompto, much like the strange mechanical entity where Ignis woke up, seemed to indicate a belief that they were all dead. Ignis, like any rational man, had mentally dismissed that.

But then Noctis apologizes to him, and he actually may have to put stock in the idea he's dead after all.

When Noctis looks up into those green eyes, he'll find them wide with shock. Perhaps any version of Ignis would be a little surprised to get an apology like this, so upfront in its manner, so sincere. For this Ignis especially, however, with that rocky period between them still recently in view...

It's more than he would have ever imagined. More than he'd want to ask for.

"Noct..." This time, he's the one who takes the initiative to reach out, hands folding over one of Noctis's own while his head bows. "You view yourself far harsher than I ever would. There has never been a moment by your side which I have viewed with regret. Is that what I lead you to believe?"

Because if some future version of himself has made his beloved prince think that...

Noctis deserves that shock, he thinks, considering how much he's taken Ignis for granted over the years. He forgot, too, just how serious Iggy used to be, before they both got older and mellowed out some. Then again, Noctis himself was much moodier back then; he didn't exactly give Ignis a lot to be lighthearted about.

It's Noct's turn for his eyes to widen as Ignis takes his hand and tries to take the blame again. "Hey--" Noctis squeezes Iggy's hand as his own free hand clasps his retainer's shoulder. "No, not even close. You've stuck by me through thick and thin, through...so much. I just...I've had a lot of time for introspection, lately. Like, a lot. And it's given me perspective I never used to have, on the world and on myself."

Both hands move to clasp Ignis' own now. "And you're a big reason I was able to do that, y'know."

So... He's still held himself to those high standards, then. If nothing else, that's a relief. The only thing that's a pity is that he wasn't able to see with his own eyes the way that Noctis has grown, become more mature, had his world opened up behind just Insomnia.

That blessing is apparently reserved for a different Ignis.

Well, at least he can still be here, with Noct, and that's all that matters. His hands flex inside of Noctis's grip. "Ah, then I imagine that, if you were able to do that, you were able to learn to cook on your own as well," he says, with that light sarcasm Noctis has gotten to hear so much. A slight Ghost of ~~Christmas~~ Future that gives away the kind of man Ignis will get to be, when he's stopped stressing himself out so much.

"Pfff." Noctis gives those hands one last little squeeze and lets go. "Let's not get too hasty. Give me some credit, though, I can make meals in the microwave! Hey, you should come back to my and Prom's place and I'll show you."

Maybe Ignis will be impressed at the cleanliness of the place, too. Noctis can just sort of...neglect to mention how they keep it so clean. Just because Ignis is the most observant person to ever live, doesn't necessarily mean he'll notice the automatic cleaner...right?

"Come on, this way." He gestures with his head and then leads Ignis through the hub to the loft, with a spring in his step that's been rare for a while now.

"Ah, Noct, my groceries-!"

As ever, important priorities have been established here.

Once what he's gotten has been retrieved, and Noct has taken him to the building in which he's claimed some room for his own... Ignis has to look over everything appraisingly, as is his wont. Frankly, the security could be a little better, but he always thinks that.

Other than that... "Are there many people living here?" The city looks populated, yes, and yet Ignis has observed a feeling of emptiness. So many going through the motions, it felt like. He can't put his finger on it, but... It hasn't escaped his notice that there aren't many people in the apartment as they go up to Noct's loft.

Whoops. Right, Ignis obviously would have been buying food here. Or...acquiring food, anyway. Hmm.

So they make a detour to grab the groceries and then head on back to the loft, where Ignis inspects everything as expected. While he does, Noctis heads over to the fridge and pulls out a nice, cold can of Ebony. "Heads up!" He tosses it to Ignis. He's about to say he should have shown Iggy the potions shop, but...that would require explaining why it's attached to Ardyn's shop, and even though this Ignis doesn't know Ardyn yet, he sure knows the name Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Niflheim. Noctis figures they'll cross that bridge...later.

It's clear right away that Noctis shares this place with Prompto, even without clutter on the floor. There are framed photos everywhere - hanging on walls, perched on tables - and some of them are obviously from the road trip. Others were taken here in Amani and feature other people - Rosie, Ardyn (thankfully he knows Ignis hasn't seen Ardyn and won't recognize him), Elidibus, Erika, Rose Lalonde, Byleth - alongside Noctis, Prompto, or both. There's one of Noctis and Barnabas fishing on the Einherjar, a few of random places around the sim...there's one of Noctis behind the counter at Caelum Curatives, too, with the shop's sign visible.

"Uh...yes and no," Noctis answers Ignis' question as he grabs himself a small bottle of orange juice and gestures for Ignis to come sit with him on the couch. "There are really only maybe thirty of us here. But you've probably noticed all the other random people around, too, how they kinda just...act like the AI thinks random people should act. They're just part of the simulation, they're not real."

Ah, good. It's allegedly the end of the world, but Ebony is still somehow being produced somewhere, so Ignis can only further question that claim. He catches it easily, popping it open even as he looks over the various pictures on display with no small interest.

He knows Prompto has always been fairly interested in photography ever since he first became Noctis's friend. Yet judging by the quality of a few of the pictures, those that aren't so obviously selfies Noctis has taken... He's quite improved since then. Ignis will have to tell him so when he next sees the young man.

Especially because the clearer the picture, the better he can see just who Noctis has been hanging out with in their time apparently apart. It's interesting, as well, to see which figures are constantly reoccurring. There's a woman with dark curling hair, and then that blond woman he thinks he's seen at that records store...

And then, what's this about Caelum Curatives, and.... that man...

Good news: Ignis clearly hasn't recognized Ardyn Izunia.

Bad news: Noctis can recognize the face of a man who has looked at the state of his bedroom at peek teenage boy.

Still, he looks up when Noctis gestures to him, and joins him on the couch after only a moment of hesitation. It's probably easier to talk this way, considering everything... and maybe Ignis would benefit from getting off his feet for a moment.

"I see. That would certainly explain the odd behavior I've witnessed, then." No soul, no true interaction with the world around them. "Are there many from Insomnia here, then?" He's not sure if that would be better or worse, although Noctis seems a bit more relaxed here than in the city... Then again, he's also grown up a great deal since then. Ignis can't quite tell yet what is responsible for what.

For a moment, Noctis thinks maybe he was wrong and Ignis does recognize Ardyn...but no, that's not Iggy's 'what the fuck, explain this, Noct' face. That's Iggy's 'I have just seen something distasteful' face. Yeah, Amani really hasn't helped Ardyn look any less like a weird hobo, huh.

Just by the couch on Ignis' side, there's another photo, but this one is far less casual than most of them. In the picture, Noctis is wearing his fancy pinstriped suit and looking serious inside a building that gives off some Citadel vibes. He's speaking to a group of others, including Elidibus and Emet-Selch in their robes, and Carbuncle sits beside him projecting some kind of document for them to look at. ...Ignis may also notice that Noctis is wearing the Ring of the Lucii on his right hand.

The question gives Noct just a brief moment of pause. "Nah, not many. Just me, Prompto, Gladio...and uh, Nyx Ulric used to be here, but he's...he's gone now."

Fortunately, Ardyn's not from Insomnia, so Noctis doesn't have to mention him to be telling the truth.

"And now there's you. Took you long enough." He's clearly teasing. "Oh - there are a few bagel sandwiches from the bakery in the Armiger, you can grab one if you're hungry. Angeal's no you, but his food's pretty good."

Edited 2024-02-16 08:26 (UTC)

As Ignis takes a seat, his eyes are naturally drawn to that picture on display. When was the last time he saw Noctis dress up like that? It's been ages, surely. Noct has always seemed to hate having to get fancy like that, especially in his teenage years. But like this, dressed up, serious, the Ring on his finger...

A bittersweet ache coils in his chest, something proud and longing in equal measure.

He knows he hasn't failed in his duty, not exactly. There was apparently an Ignis Scientia who stayed by Noctis's side, protected him, cared for him, and let him have the space to become like this. In that, he can rest assured. To still wish that he could have seen it, given what he could to Noct... That's a little selfish, isn't it?

He looks back as Noctis keeps speaking, nodding at the list of names. Nyx Ulric, is that so? It's a shame that he's no longer here, and Ignis will have to inquire more onto that. How exactly is he gone?

He doesn't get a chance. Not when Noct brings up the Armiger, and Ignis blinks at him. It shouldn't be a surprise, with how everything else is looking, and Noctis's age, but - "You're able to use the Armiger with no issue, now?"

Noctis catches Ignis looking at that photo, and a sudden surge of hope bubbles up in his chest. Hope that Ignis, regardless of how old he is or what he's experienced, will be proud of him. He makes a mental note to invite his retainer to go with him to the next Hall of Rhetoric meeting - not that Ignis wouldn't go anyway, of course, that kind of thing is his jam, but Noctis wants Iggy to see how hard he's worked and how far he's come.

The feeling only intensifies at the question. "Huh? Oh, that's right...you haven't seen the results of all that training I did with the Glaives yet, either." He shoots Ignis a self-satisfied grin. "Try not to be too amazed, okay?"

He stands and reaches out a hand to grasp the hilt of the Sword of the Mystic as it materializes in a burst of blue-white crystalline light. He swings it a few times in his usual quick warmup and then--

"--uh, on second thought, maybe this isn't the best place to do this. Come on, let's head out to the yard." He lets the weapon vanish back to the Armiger and looks back at Ignis with a gleam of anticipation in his eyes, the kind he normally reserves for fishing and really soft blankets. This Ignis has definitely never seen him this fired up over training, of all things.

This is absolutely not the place to do this, and, frankly, Ignis was already putting his Ebony to the side in order to reach out to place a hand on one of Noct's arms. "The yard would indeed be far more suitable," he says, just a tad dryly. Please do not ruin your own loft, Noctis.

...Of course, even with the tone of his voice, it's hard to hide the small smile pulling on his lips. Only a few years, from what he can tell, and he's already made so much progress.

He always knew Noctis would be amazing.

As Noctis moves toward the back door, Ignis may notice if he glances back at the table where he set his can of Ebony down that...it isn't there anymore. It clearly hasn't spilled, it's not on the floor, and Pearl the cat (whom Ignis may recognize) is nowhere near it. It's just...vanished, apparently.

None the wiser, Noctis heads out the back door to the top of the stairs that lead down to the backyard. He summons a different sword this time, a mundane, simple one, and flings it out to the middle of the yard to warp there. Then he turns back to wait for Ignis, twirling the blade idly from hand to hand. When he's sure his retainer is watching, he throws the sword again.

This time, it lodges itself firmly in the thick trunk of a tall tree, and Noctis warps up after it to dangle one-handed from the hilt. He waves down to Ignis with a grin.

With it clear that there will be no torn through walls or broken furniture today - or at least in the immediate ten minutes - Ignis does indeed turn around to fetch his drink again. It's Ebony. He developed a dependency on that when he was twelve, probably. If he didn't turn around to get it, then that's how Noctis would know he's either gotten brain damage or been replaced by an imposter who didn't do their research well enough.

Problem.

The Ebony is not there.

Ignis spares a second to wonder, simply put, what the fuck, but then Noctis is already tromping up the stairs, so he just... He'll keep that in mind. Later.

For now, Noct's excitement is far more important, and so he follows up to him. He notes the difference in swords, which only makes it all the more apparent just what exactly he was using before (as if there was any doubt). There's nothing said on it. All he does is position himself out of the way to watch.

Already, the training he's gone through after all this time is clear as day just by by the movement of his hand as he twirls the sword. Ignis almost doesn't need any further proof of how good Noct has gotten, but he's more than glad to see it anyway, smiling as he sees the blue traces of warp split behind, still clinging to Noct's body as he goes from place to place. "Magnificent," Ignis says in that proud and adoring tone of voice Noct knows so well, finally walking over until he's standing beneath the tree and, more importantly, Noct. "You've taken to warping wonderfully as well."

Oh, Noctis has missed hearing praise like that from Ignis. It's harder than he remembers to play it off as no big deal, but he gives it a shot anyway. "Heh, just wait until we're back in action in a real fight. You ain't seen nothin' yet. Or a...fake, real fight, if you want to check out the combat simulator at the training grounds sometime." He wants to show Ignis so much more - the full panoply, the unleashed royal arms, his proficiency with every kind of weapon Lucis ever made, spear and dagger techniques the older Ignis taught him - but most of that isn't really practical for a demonstration with no opponent.

For now, he makes the sword vanish and then re-summons it to hand before he can fall much, then flings it at the ground to warp the rest of the way down with a roll back to his feet. Just as quickly, the weapon is gone again.

"There is one more thing, though." He moves closer to Ignis until he's within easy reach. "I gave you, Gladio, and Prompto shared access to the Armiger right before we left Insomnia." Wait, how much does Ignis know about that? ...one thing at a time. "Gladio and Prompto have it here, too, so that just leaves you."

Back when Noctis originally shared the power of the Armiger with Ignis and the others, it ended up seeming pretty casual, mostly because none of them were willing to let it feel any more profound, even if there was more than a hint of it that Noctis had tried to shrug off at the time in favor of acting as normally as possible.

Now, though, after everything - the Ring, Nyx, missing Ignis for so long, and everything else...Noctis is starting to realize that he doesn't want to treat it casually anymore. His role and his power - his light - mean something to people in a way he didn't appreciate enough when he was younger. He doesn't want to make that mistake again.

He lifts his hand halfway toward Ignis, traces of that blue-white radiance beginning to sparkle in his palm, and then pauses. "You ready?"

Once upon a time, when he was very very young and heard mostly fairy tales about sharing in the royal light, he would daydream about what it would be like. There wasn't always a lot of time for it, but he was still by all means a child back then, and so he found the occasional moment where his mind could wander. Inbetween lessons. If he finished his schoolwork faster than anticipated. In the car while they were driving from one place to another.

It would be amazing. He'd been so sure of it. And he never stopped being sure of it, deep within his chest.

However, what he did stop doing was wasting time on idle thoughts when, as he grew, there was only more and more to ever do. Especially in the days he has just left behind - when he and a younger Noct than the one who stands before him were scraping inelegantly against one another, and his most immediate thoughts were simply hoping that Noctis might learn at least one recipe so that he could rely on himself more. See the products of his own effort with his own eyes.

To suddenly wake up, and be offered that childish daydream like this when he'd been patiently prepared a wait of years...

Those fingers, brilliant with the splendor of a light that shines brighter than from anyone or anything else, are not left to stay there on their own. Not when Ignis's own reach forward, brushing against it, curling beneath those tips. He takes Noctis's hand that way, so faint and gentle in guidance, just enough to pull it close, and rest his mouth upon the knuckles of his prince.

"If you please."

For Noctis' part, the stories he heard most and liked best were the ones his father told him about the feats of their predecessors and what it was like to wield the power of kings. He knew Regis had at one point shared his own power with Clarus and Cor, even if it lapsed eventually, and later on with a large part of the Kingsglaive's ranks. But when Regis told the stories to his son, they were always fun, impressive tales full of adventure and victory. Noctis never knew about Ignis' wishful daydreams, nor did he ever really have any of his own about it, other than how cool it would be one day, when he didn't suck at using his power. And he wonders if Ignis knew--no, that's a question for another time.

It wasn't until Noctis made Nyx his first and, so far, only Glaive that he learned just what sharing his power could really mean, how it could feel. How it could bring him so much closer to those he trusts and cares for.

Doing this with Ignis won't be quite like that, he knows. Sharing access to the Armiger is a far cry from the massive investment it was to give Nyx what he needed. But even so, Noctis knows it can be just as meaningful, if he lets it. All he's waiting for is Ignis' affirmative.

...and he gets so much more than that.

When Noctis was much younger, he and Ignis used to touch each other all the time. Hugs, holding hands for comfort or practicality, Noctis tugging on Iggy's arm or falling asleep slumped against him. As time went on and Noctis got into his teenage years, that sort of thing mostly stopped altogether, largely because Noctis tried his damndest to retreat from the world at every opportunity and present an aloof, disaffected face to pretty much everyone except Prompto, and Ignis respected the space he wanted. As he and Ignis both grew older and mellowed out some, casual touching returned to them, but in more reserved, socially acceptable ways for the most part unless it was to team up or protect each other in battle.

But this...Noctis isn't sure Ignis has ever done this before.

He stares with wide eyes, lips slightly parted in surprise and a bit of wonder. Noctis normally hates it when people treat him with reverence. It's uncomfortable, unnecessary, and unearned besides. But Ignis is not just anyone. What he expresses to Noctis is never empty or shallow or without meaning. And there are only so many ways to interpret the meaning in this. It makes Noctis feel...worthy. Makes his heart feel full.

The Noctis of a few years ago would have tried to play this off or lighten the mood out of embarrassment and maybe some hint of shame. Not today.

Today, he accepts the gesture for what it is, nodding with a small, warm smile. "I do." He squeezes Ignis' hand lightly and then lifts his own to brush his fingers, chased with motes of light, along Ignis' cheek before they drift down to the other man's chest. He presses his hand gently but firmly against the place where Ignis' heart beats beneath his palm, meeting those beautiful green eyes with ocean-blue ones for just a moment before he closes them, and opens the gates just enough.

From Nyx, Noctis learned that his father's light was fierce and exhilarating when shared with the Kingsglaive, bestowing upon them the same unbreakable determination Regis exuded himself. Noctis also learned that his own light felt very different to Nyx, and that's what Ignis feels now, too: There's a certain peace to it and a buoyant kind of sustenance, feeling less like raw strength and more like...salvation. A soft but radiant glow wells up in the king's palm and passes into his retainer like a breath, as Noctis gives of himself to empower Ignis.

Edited 2024-02-22 07:31 (UTC)

It really has been a long time since the two of them touched each other so comfortably. No doubt if Ignis hadn't been greeted with such intensity from Noctis first thing, then he would have kept on with that same careful restriction inbetweeen them. Noct's comfort is priority, after all (underneath other things, obviously, like his life), and Ignis doesn't need physical contact to show his love and loyalty to Noct.

...But perhaps he has missed it.

And perhaps, if there is ever a time to press on those boundaries just a bit, a quiet gesture to try so hard to show Noctis how precious he is, how incredible, when he's never seemed to quite believe him before sometimes, it's now.

It's not mere reverence, after all, not in the way that most people would think of it. Perhaps bits and pieces of that reverence are present, yes - the reverence of a blade towards its master, a servant to lord, something a little bit like devoted to the divine when this is all his life has been raised towards.

But Ignis quietly believes all of that pales in comparison to his feelings.

To the pure and unadulterated adoration he feels for Noctis, which has only grown stronger in time.

The depths of that aren't clear right off the bat, at least not on the surface. Not while he leans only ever so slightly against those fingers brushing against his jaw, gaze never leaving Noctis's face. When that hand finally rests upon his heart, when that light finally rises upward to sink to the place that would always have welcomed it no matter what...

Once upon a time, when he was very very young, Ignis would day dream about what it would feel like.

If he could, he would look that younger self of his in the eyes, and tell him that it is a million times better than he could ever have thought.

As the light settles down into his chest, that beautiful feeling sinking down into every inch of him, Ignis holds himself back for just a moment. All he does is stand there, a soft look in his eyes that's hard to describe beyond maybe fulfilled.

And then a smile. Soft and adoring.

"Thank you, Noct."

Once he's finished, Noctis sighs quietly. This sort of thing isn't the most tiring use of his magic there is, but it does take its toll like everything else, so he takes just that one brief moment to rest before he opens his eyes again. And when he does...

...he's met with Ignis looking at him like that. It mirrors the feeling that's settled deep in Noct's heart, an instinctive sense for whose hands hold pieces of his power and how they almost feel like they could be a part of him, if he concentrates on it enough. Or, perhaps, that he is a part of them, giving pieces of himself over to the stewardship of their souls. Maybe that's why this feels so perfectly right with Ignis of all people.

That look, that smile, the tone in Iggy's voice, it all makes Noct's breath catch. How did he manage to go so long without Ignis? He honestly has no idea.

His hand still rests there above his retainer's heart as awe creeps into his gaze. "It's...by far the least I can do," he says softly. "I want to give you so much more. I want to make you as happy as you make me. I want..."

He shouldn't. He really shouldn't. Even with Gladio it was slightly shaky ground before they reached an understanding about their love coexisting with their duties. With Ignis...how could any kind of confession be anything but compromising? Unlike Gladio, Ignis has always seemed to seamlessly blend his duties with his feelings and often capitulates to what Noctis wants, in spirit if not to the letter. Would Ignis tell him if he didn't feel the same way? Or would he take up that role with a smile, too, simply because Noctis wanted it? He was nervous and worried about confessing to Gladio, but if Ignis takes this poorly, if they step back to keeping each other at arm's length again, Noctis doesn't think he could handle it.

But he may not get a better chance than this. He doesn't want to let this moment drift away from them only to lose it forever. If Noctis says nothing now, he may never say anything. And that seems unfair to Ignis, doesn't it? Keeping something like this a secret from the man who otherwise knows his heart inside and out?

...and what if Ignis vanishes from Amani just like Nyx did? Didn't Noctis tell the whole network he would work harder to be open with people he cared about and invite them to do the same, lest they lose the opportunity? If anyone deserves that effort from Noctis, it's Iggy.

Taking a deep breath and drawing himself up, he takes Ignis' hand with his own free one, just to hold it. "Listen...I'm going to say something, and I know how complicated it could make things. Trust me, I get it. That's why I need to make sure you understand that no matter what your answer is, I'll be fine. I don't want you to feel any kind of pressure. Forget for a minute what we are to each other, okay? Right now, I'm just Noct and you're just Ignis, and that's it. Got it?"

Just like that, the soft adoration is gone from Ignis's expression, and there's just a sharp and attentive quality to his gaze as he looks to Noctis. What Noct had been saying just a moment had been - interesting, a line of mental inquiry which he'd been in the middle of shooing away, but this is more important. If Noct actually feels strongly on something like this, is trying to speak to him seriously...

"Of course, Noct." Although what on earth could Noct want to tell him that he'd find complicated, and which would be pressuring? He supposes he'll find out. With how much Noctis has matured, after all, it could be anything. "What is it?"

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1/4

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WEH ;_;

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