![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
TDM #14
Welcome! Everything is fine.
Uploading. . . Complete!
The Lobby.
- When you open your eyes, there is quite a lot of beige to take in. The unassuming walls of the room you've found yourself in are barren save for a single motivational poster directly in your line of sight. An illuminated sign above an open door on the far wall reads 'lobby exit.'
"Welcome," chimes a polite, synthesized voice. "I'm happy you're here." A moment later comes the clarity of the situation: you have died and so has the world you came from. "This is Amani, your new reality," continues The Peacekeeper. "Everything will be fine."
At least you aren't the only one here, you'll soon find out, as others who are just as confused and concerned as you are might be mingling on the main hub's first floor. Hopefully, you find a familiar face among the crowd. If not, that's all right. You'll get to know quite a few people very well soon enough.
- If you're one of the unlucky few whose death required a bit more intensive re-coding to maintain stability in the simulation, you'll instead awaken on a bed in the infirmary. Everything is strikingly white save for the occasional string of vines with lavender growing in bursts to help keep people calm. Whether or not it works seems to be on a case-by-case basis.
While there is active medical staff, the voice of The Peacekeeper is also there to explain the situation in a more delicate manner to these individuals. It's already stressful enough having to have gone through such a violent death, after all!
If characters want more questions answered, they'll need to speak to The Peacekeeper directly. But first, it will encourage socialization in the main hub and hopefully, you'll find someone you recognize to make taking things in a little easier.
WHAT
The fourteenth Amani TDM!
WHEN
February 14th, 2024 (and until the next TDM!)
KINKS OF THE MONTH
★ Foodplay / Feeding
★ Kissing
★ Public Displays of Affection
★ Multiple Orgasms
★ Body Worship
★ Kissing
★ Public Displays of Affection
★ Multiple Orgasms
★ Body Worship
WHAT'S YOUR DTF STATUS?
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.
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!
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 » At the onsen, there is an outdoor pool set a bit off from the rest of the hot springs that has a dragon statue in the middle. It doesn't look as well-kept as the rest of the place and the water has a strange blue tint to it... Once one steps into this pool and soaks for a couple of minutes, they will change. It may be gradual or instantaneous, some might completely morph or only gain features but everyone will share a similarity: They suddenly look a lot more draconic than they did before. That's right, this spring is for all us dragonfuckers to let loose. It will, as with most things, only be temporary and last no more than a couple of hours after the initial soak. Have fun while it lasts!
★ Heart Jellies » In the shallow waters of Taasunni swim a strange species of jellyfish shaped like hearts. If stung by one of these creatures, the sensation will be pleasant rather than painful. It lingers for a while afterwards and will feel like a low-level electric current running through your body that makes it all tingly and warm.
★ Wyverns » Wyverns are a feral, bipedal lesser cousin to dragonkind. Proud, stubborn, fierce, and intelligent, wyverns are known to be extremely protective--of their territory, members of their social group, and their masters. Highly social and cooperative predators, they nest in the cliffs of Taasunni Beach, and can range far into the Aditus Grasslands to hunt. While most wyverns hunt using sharp talons and fangs or strong tails, a rare few show an innate capacity for magic, capable of churning up cutting winds with their wings or breathing fire or lightning. Those courageous enough to attempt to tame one will find that they are highly perceptive and willful creatures, slow to trust and disinclined to obey any but the most confident and strong of heart. Should anyone successfully earn their respect, however, they can become intensely devoted companions and mounts.
★ Love Blossoms » During the spring, a handful of trees with gorgeous, pink flowers will blossom starting in Novum and expanding throughout a good portion of the simulation. The pollen of these particular flowers are akin to pheromones that will fill one with insatiable desire. (Sex pollen. It's sex pollen.)
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.
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
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!
★ 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
no subject
And yet... The more Gladio keeps talking, the more they - not quite dissipate or loosen, but they do seem to not be such a tight cluster.
It's a little frustrating, and maybe hurts more than anything, to find all the ways that Gladio has come to know him. He was already so good at it beforehand, knowing what was stressing him or what he needed to hear. Ignis supposes that, after so many years of being by some version of him... Gladio's only gotten better.
...He does do better when his hands are moving. A couple of hours will help him calm down, and, maybe he can figure out something more than just this. And more than anything else... They need to keep Noctis and Prompto from realizing this miserable little spat has happened at all, both because it would worry them, and also it would be a nightmare to deal with.
It's... It's good of Gladio, to remind him of this. More than he suspects he deserves with what he's said today. He...
Wait.
"You didn't tell Noct?"
no subject
He huffs out a breath. "Besides, if he was already upset about you not being here...I figured he wouldn't take the joke of our relationship being out there in plain sight for years and him never noticing it too well. Yeah, his obliviousness was funny then, but with him being so down about the guy who's closest to him in the world not being around - completely changes the mood." And he forces himself to admit, out loud, something that's been on his mind for a little while. "I'm kinda worried we let the joke run so long that he won't find it funny in any context, honestly. Not like we were trying to stretch it, we kept thinking he had to catch on, but it just kinda snowballed. Until it went from 'it's funny he hasn't noticed' to 'I don't know how to say it after it's been this long', and I don't know when we crossed that line exactly.
"And it'd have been me alone, having to answer for both of us. Having to maybe upset him with both of us, while you weren't even here to talk to him or make things right or apologize or defend yourself or...anything. Making that decision to tell him without you felt weird, too.
"It was never because I didn't want him to know, okay? Or that I was trying to hide it from him. It just became this weird, complex...thing, because it was something we didn't think we'd even have to say, and we ended up waiting so long for him to notice that it started to feel too awkward to bring up. That whole year we were on the road together, we weren't exactly subtle, and he never noticed a thing. And then...well, stuff happened, and we - I - lost any chance to tell him until getting to this place."
He sighs. "Look, you can blame me for this one. It was my idea that it'd be funny to see the look on his face when he picked up on it for himself, rather than make some embarrassing announcement to him. I didn't exactly push it hard, we just stopped thinking about it too much after awhile, but...you'd have told him from the start, and things would've been a lot simpler if I'd listened to you. If there's going to be any fallout from it, I'll take it. Even the Iggy who went along with my stupid idea shouldn't really be on the hook for this, but you have nothing to do with it at all. It's my problem to worry about."
no subject
It just... doesn't seem right to hold a key to Noctis's heart and not tell him something as important as that.
Because everything else Gladio says afterwards makes sense otherwise. In some cases, if he's honest, it makes more than just sense, but tugs at something far deeper. Far more sensitive and longing and wanting to do something. Where would he even direct those feelings towards? Ignis isn't wholly sure, at least not right now, as his own emotions and thoughts are tangling up together in a messy way he's not used to dealing with.
Frustration. Sympathy. Yearning. A dozen other things besides, all merging together into a confusing tangled mess.
The only way to deal with it all is to reach up, carefully slide the glasses from his face, and grind the heel of one palm right there against a socket.
He needs a moment.
"I'm not blaming you," he finally answers, voice quiet less from tension and more... simple exhaustion. The hand does not remove itself from his socket. "If I went along with it, for whatever reason, then the blame is on me as well. Even just yesterday, from my perspective, I could have mentioned this to Noct at any time, and I didn't. This isn't something for you to deal with on your own." He can't just avoid responsibility for the things he's decided to do, in one way or another. Especially... not when it's a shared responsibility like this.
His hand finally falls away. Ignis looks as exhausted as he feels, he suspects, but that can't be helped. He'd always do his best to hide this sort of appearance from Noct, but he's not here, and Gladio... Well.
He's clearly seen him at some of his worst anyway, with this how this day is going.
"...Help me with cooking, Gladio." He reaches up, resting his hand over the one there upon his shoulder. "Whatever excuse is at your apartment can wait. I think... we should speak more, rather than holding this off as well."
no subject
The truth is, there were so many complex reasons behind it that Gladio can't even perceive or articulate all of them. One of those reasons might have been the fear that it would somehow change things for the worse, that Noct might react poorly, and - given Ignis' complete devotion to Noct - a very real chance that Ignis would bow out of their relationship rather than do anything that might affect Noct adversely. Another might have been some deeply buried, quiet longing for them to just...have something entirely to themselves. Something not revolving around Noct, the way the rest of their lives do. Telling Noct about it wouldn't necessarily have taken that away from them, but just being able to keep it private was a privilege that, perhaps, they both subconsciously felt it hard to voluntarily give up. Better to leave that sacrifice to passive forces.
Before today, the unease was uncomfortable enough that Gladio largely avoided thinking about this subject at all. No pressing need to, after all. But he can't keep dodging it now.
Iggy's request makes him hesitate, and then he steps closer again. He reaches out, a hand finding one of Ignis' and holding it loosely. "You sure? You're processing a lot, Iggy. I don't blame you if you need some alone time. And it's not like I won't talk this out with you later, if it has to wait."
Even around him, he knows it's a sign of extremity for Iggy to let himself look this weary to an observer.
"Also, you shouldn't have to take responsibility for decisions you've never even had the chance to make yourself."
no subject
With his sight restored once again, he glances back down at their loosely held fingers. Slowly, he adjusts them, focuses on the feel of Gladio's fingers, traces the length of them. They were always rough hands even by the time they got together, because of course they would be. They couldn't be anything less, with all the hard work that Gladio did, and clearly still does. And yet, in some ways, small and perhaps almost minuscule in a few areas... They're different.
His grip tightens, a bit, just enough so that he can tug Gladio along in the direction of the sink. "...I don't know how to feel about you right now. Every time I feel as though I'm becoming settled from this sudden change of pace-" Which is a very mild description for what's actually happening here, but that's Ignis. "-you say something that frustrates or... confuses me."
And maybe it's the confusion that's making this just a bit worse.
Flicking on the water, he tugs Gladio's hand over to be beneath the pour so that he can squeeze some soap onto it. There's no explanation happening here but, well, this was the hand he was holding a chili in, so... Just in case.
no subject
"I know. I keep hitting you with stuff that's bound to throw you off." Gladio sighs. "For what it's worth, I don't think there's any other big reveals for me to hit you with, now. So maybe this time you can settle for real, without me throwing you for any more loops." He squeezes Ignis' hand slightly. "I'm sorry. I know - you need a rock right now, when everything's different and weird and you're trying to find solid ground. And I want to be that for you. But even if this is too much to have thrown at you at once...if I hadn't told you up front, it would've been worse later, when what you thought was solid turned out to have a shaky foundation."
He shifts to bump their shoulders together. "But that doesn't mean I don't know I'm putting a lot on you. And maybe now that you're about as caught up as I can get you, and I don't have any more big news or surprises for you...I can make you feel like I'm reliable again."
no subject
"The only thing you've made a choice on was... responding to Noct." And that still makes him feel uneasy, agitated, but not so bad as being hit with it so unexpectedly. He can swallow it down, not let his fingers slow or quicken too much as they roll over Gladio's knuckles. "Everything else was already in place before we ever had a chance to speak. I doubt any of us would have chosen such a discrepancy in how much of our lives we've lived, after all."
His hands pull back, up inbeween the same gaps they'd pressed through, until his fingers splay there slightly in Gladio's palm. "...Noct and I had only just had an argument not long ago." At least, it was tension that finally came to a head, and which both of them struggled with. Ignis hadn't even ground against it as much as he could have; just retreated. "Yet I see him again in this place, and he's grown so much that the difference may as well be night and day. And it's not that I'm unhappy about that."
...But to suddenly be looking straight into the sun when you were walking in the night would be enough to give anyone a sheering headache at the very least.
"As for us, while one never hopes that their relationship will end... It's still different to see that it's lasted well into the future." He tugs their hands, together, over to the spray of water once more, now that he's satisfied he's washed them well enough. "...I've never even had a chance, as of yet, to think that deeply on our relationship. That we'd make exceptions for anyone." Let alone Noctis, although now that he's had a chance to simmer down, he has to admit to himself that he could see the conversation happening.
It just hasn't, yet. Not for him.
"...It felt a betrayal, of some nature." That seems like the right word, he feels.
no subject
"Of course you wouldn't be unhappy about Noct growing up," he murmurs, lifting his free hand to lightly rest warm fingers against the back of Iggy's neck. "But...I can't imagine it doesn't hurt, not having gotten to see the steps in between. Even if some version of you got to see it, you haven't gotten to yet, and seeing Noct come into his own would mean so much to any version of you. It's gotta be a weird feeling, being jealous of your own older self. And seeing Noct the way he is...must feel like somebody spoiled the ending of a story you loved reading."
He leans in a little closer, so he can rest the side of his head against Ignis'. "And...yeah, it would feel like a betrayal. I had that agreement with you, in the technical sense, but not with you specifically. And the things that I think made it something we consider, in your future...I don't think they're established for you yet. So of course it doesn't feel right." His hand rests more fully against the back of Iggy's neck, warm palm against skin. "Namely...the deeper we get into our relationship as we grow older, Iggy, the more we realize that we're something special to each other. In a way nobody else could touch. There's a reason I've never missed the casual relationships and hook-ups I used to have before I was with you, Iggy. You're on a whole other level from them. I don't need any of that stuff anymore, when I could have you instead. I'd have to really love someone - like I love Noct - for it to be really worth my time to even look twice, because how could I downgrade now and have it be remotely satisfying.
"But even with Noct...I love him, and my relationship with him is irreplaceable in its own ways, but you're you. And no matter where I go or what I do, or who I'm with - I'm always gonna love you, Iggy. I'm always gonna need you, and want you, and come back to you. I think the older version of you was with me long enough to know that in his bones." He slowly strokes his thumb over the nape of Iggy's neck. "And if you haven't had the chance to learn it yet...then I'll make sure to teach you. I plan on spending the rest of my life at your side. Nothing and nobody else is gonna change that, and I want to make sure you know it."
no subject
It's... funnily enough, the least important thing right now, for once.
Surrendering to the existence of wet hands, Ignis simply rests them along the edge of the sink and allows himself to ease into that warmer palm along his nape. "You never were to say things you never meant," he agrees quietly. It always seemed, at least to Ignis, why Noct could listen to him with no reservations. Gladio means what he says, whether it's harsh criticism or kinder praise, royalty or not. "Then I'll take you on your word for this as well."
Still, for all that it's good to hear that Gladio cares for him so deeply in a way he's truly going to have to learn, and that duty hasn't gotten in the way of feelings or vice versa... There's one more problem.
"I suppose if there's one more thing I will need to learn... It's how to share you with Noct." Does he sound uncertain or, daresay, even a little reluctant? Nah. It's probably because he's staring at his still wet hands. "That wasn't something they covered, for my education as Noct's retainer."
no subject
And considering the love and devotion with which both Gladio and Ignis approach their actual jobs, referring to his role as Iggy's boyfriend as a job is anything but belittling. It's almost a term of reverence, for men like them.
He glances sidelong at Iggy at that last statement, with a faint quirk of his lips. "How to share me with Noct?" he asks. "Or how to share Noct with me?"
Personally, Gladio isn't really sure which of those things Iggy will struggle with more. But he thinks acknowledging that both are things he'll struggle with is more accurate than implying there's only the one issue. "But either way...I don't think it'll be as hard as you think. Haven't we all been kind of sharing each other for years regardless? I don't know that the nature of the sharing changing is really going to change that much about how it looks or feels, in the end. I wouldn't be surprised if in a lot of ways, it feels pretty similar to how it's always been. Not like I was planning on engaging in any sloppy PDA with one of you in front of the other or anything."
no subject
Still, the ease that knowledge brings isn't quite the same as the point Gladio brings up next, and the slight twitch of his mouth is equivalent to watching a dog or cat flick their ears back. "We have been sharing him between us for a long time yet, now," he agrees, finger tapping once on the sink as emphasis. "However, I wouldn't know how to share you."
This is his first and only relationship, after all. Does this... change something? Ignis had no idea. One more new thing, another uncertainty, that he'd had to grapple with.
...Just not on his own. That's what relationships are supposed to be like, aren't they? Not something taken purely onto only a single set of shoulders. So if Gladio suggests maybe it wouldn't change too much at all in the end, for either his duty or the very slim sliver which exists as Ignis's personal life... Maybe he should believe him.
A soft rush of an exhale. "...Thank you. And - I apologize. I was rash once more." Twice in one day. He really is off his game, and he doesn't like that.
no subject
He squeezes Ignis' hand again where their linked hands still rest by the sink. "But we will figure it out, okay? I promise. Both you and Noct mean too much to me that I'm gonna settle for anything less. So if I can't give either of you up, I gotta make this work."
He moves his hand from Ignis' hair to his chin, gently tilting his head more towards Gladio so their gazes can meet. "So...just keep talking to me, okay? Let me know how you feel. What you want, and what you need. What's bothering you, and how I can fix it. As long as I know what I need to make happen, I'll make it happen. All you have to do is keep me on the right track."
no subject
"You'll have to follow your own words of advice, you know. I have... a great deal to catch up on. So talk to me in turn as well. Please."
no subject
He meets Ignis' gaze again. "As for talking to you and helping you catch up, that's already what I've been trying to do. But don't worry; I'm not planning on stopping."
no subject
And he believes that with certainty, now, able to separate his own feelings from it more clearly. Right. That's better. This is how it should be.
"But... I do have one more question. You said there were people we discussed as exceptions. With that in mind..." Ignis's brow pinches, but this time more in quiet befuddlement.
"Were Prompto and I also lovers of some nature?"
no subject
The question catches him off-guard, and he blinks. Then he grins again. "Not exactly, no. But you remember how I mentioned we discussed a couple people who mean a lot to us? Noct was one of them, but yeah, Prom was the other. He really became one of us over that road trip - we'd kill for him, no question. There was never anything romantic between us back then, although..." He pauses, frowning a bit. "Well, there was definitely some sexual tension between me and the kid. What can I say? He's cute and I like to flirt. Wouldn't have ever been anything more than just flirting for fun, though, if we hadn't talked it over and if he hadn't been interested. He always seemed a little into me, too, though. It's part of the reason we talked about him in the context of 'if the opportunity ever came up', you know?
"And awhile after our roadtrip, back in my own time, with an older Prom, we did hook up a few times. Just as a casual thing. Our situation was...pretty rough at the time, and we were all doing a lot of traveling individually where we didn't see each other all that often, so maybe that's why it happened. I wouldn't have minded it being more than casual, but...honestly, he and Noct weren't together back then, and Noct was off...doing his own thing, so Prom couldn't be with him. And nobody with eyes could miss how much the kid is in love with Noct. So I figured I was just...some stress relief for him, while he couldn't get what he really wanted. Never asked for more, and neither did the kid."
He shakes his head. "But I didn't mention that before because it's not exactly relevant here. This Prom is before anything happened between us back home; there's certainly nothing between me and the kid here besides friendship, and he doesn't even know there's ever been anything else. Feels weird to tell him - like it'd put some sort of expectation on him. I don't know if he's interested in me or not like that here and now, and I haven't asked. Besides, he's got Noct. That might be all he's ever wanted."
He rests a hand on his hip. "As to your relationship with the kid...there was never anything between you two that I know of, and obviously I would've known. But if you ask me? The attraction is there on his end. Maybe he wasn't always snapping pictures of your ass like he was mine on our roadtrip, but some of the glamor shots he took of you? I don't think you can photograph someone like that without thinking they're a work of art. Also, maybe I'm biased, but I don't know how somebody could spend that long around you and not fall for you. Anyway, that's just my perspective. You can judge for yourself if you think I'm off-base. But I gave my go-ahead on you maybe having a thing with Prompto, too, because I thought it was a real possibility one or both of you might want that."
no subject
And then Ignis falls silent, quietly taking in everything Gladio is willing to tell him. There's obviously a lot of context he's missing, but... Perhaps it simply isn't relevant right now. And Ignis supposes if it isn't relevant, then he doesn't need to necessarily hear even more when there's so much on his plate already.
He supposes.
Granted, that doesn't still make it a touch strange, to acknowledge that his boyfriend and his prince's best friend have hooked up. It just doesn't put him nearly on edge as hearing about Noct. "I see," he says, when all is said and done, finally pulling his hand away from the sink to wave it a little dry. "Then that makes some sense, I suppose - I met with him earlier," Ignis clarifies. "But he was acting so strange about me that I wondered if something unbelievable had happened like my breaking up with you to date him."
Gladio can take some pleasure in that phrasing, that Ignis found breaking up with Gladio so strange an idea as to be unbelievable, even this early in.
"This still doesn't quite answer the question, but it does eliminate a possibility." So he can work with that. In the meanwhile... With his hand somewhat air dried, Ignis lets out a breath before turning around to look up into Gladio's face. "So... Did you still plan on going back to your apartment for a quick thing you had to take care of...?"
no subject
But as long as things are good between him and Iggy...maybe he shouldn't be looking any gift horses in the mouth. Maybe it doesn't - or shouldn't - matter why.
"Yeah, I probably should, unless you really need me for dinner prep." Gladio leans in to press a kiss to Ignis' forehead. "I actually should try and prep my place a little for you, although there's not a whole lot I actually need to do for that, so it shouldn't take long." Mostly it will involve secreting away his Cup Noodle stash, just in case Iggy objects to its presence. It's not like he needs to figure out the sleeping arrangements. "But also...look at yourself. Still asking questions about what could be major revelations when you're already overwhelmed. I don't think you can resist continuing to try to get a fuller picture of things as long as I'm here to get intel from, even when what you actually need is to just process some of the information you've already got. So I don't think it'd hurt you any to have a little quiet time by yourself, even if I don't actually want to leave."
no subject
Ignis has always been a serious sort, the one to remind them of the time and mundane necessities they all needed. But he really was at his most severe when he was so young like this.
One could wonder just what helped facilitate that change to help him relax a little more, besides the simple passage of time, and if it were perhaps healing from tattoos around this stage in Ignis's life.
"Then if that's the case, try to make it back soon enough, and I should still have something for you to do," he says, deciding to ignore all the commentary about his inclination to take on everything, forever, until he dies. "There are a lot of dishes I plan on making, after all."
And something else, as well. That hand, returning right back into Gladio's hair as though he can't get enough, pressure tugging him downwards.
Lips, pressing right against his but for a moment.
"...And I will want to see you again as well."
no subject
But, well, he knows Iggy. He knows what Iggy needs, and won't give himself. And right now, he needs a little breathing room.
He returns that kiss, his hands finding Ignis' waist and resting there lightly. "Just try and keep me away," he murmurs, holding his lover's gaze for a long moment.
Then - demonstrating some of that willpower of his - he slowly drags himself back, actually stepping backwards without taking his eyes off Ignis until he's at the doorway of the kitchen. "Just make sure you're here when I get back," he says, his only concession to the private fear that Iggy might vanish as quickly as he's arrived.
no subject
Enough to show the necklace he's wearing, simple against bare skin, a partner to what Gladio wears.
"I'll be right here."
no subject
Ah.
Once again his eyes get that soft look in them, and Gladio's own hand reaches up to curl around his own necklace, as though he can actually feel the connection between them. And honestly, he'd swear he can.
"That's all I need, then," he says quietly. And with that, he turns on his heel and is gone.