[It's hard to watch Ignis cry. He can probably count the number of times he's seen it happen in their lifetime on one hand; Ignis was never fond of showing his pain like that, wanting to be the strong and stalwart supporter of his charge, even when they were both still children. He was just... Iggy, always Iggy. Supportive to a fault, indulgent without being unreasonable. They didn't always get along flawlessly, they had plenty of differing priorities, but no one knew him like Ignis. He'd been there for everything.
Quietly, he's glad that Ignis can't see him like this. He'd only seen himself in the mirror at Hammerhead briefly, when he'd been given one last chance to clean up and make himself presentable before he marched himself towards the end. Poke at the beard he doesn't remember growing, brush the hair that falls past his shoulders in strange waves, study the tired lines of aging beyond his years the way his father did as the ring sapped his strength. He envies the others a little, for getting the chance to grow slowly and witness their changes over time, even if it all occurred in a horrible hellscape of a world. His father used to joke that he grew up too quickly, in a voice fond and sad in ways that Noctis didn't understand. Staring into the mirror and seeing a stranger stare back at him with only ghosts of familiar features... it's ironic in retrospect, with a painful little twinge in his heart. Ten years had come and gone in a fraction of time for him, too fast, with little time to reflect on everything he's missed: a full third of the lives of his dearest friends, probably half-forgotten by the people he was meant to protect, a king in name only. Stretched to fit into a body he no longer knows, a face he barely recognizes. The whole thing felt like overnight while at the same time an eternity, but here he is at the end of it all.
Ignis didn't get to see himself grow, either. But it means that in their hearts they can still be as they were- young, and wild, and stupid in ways that no one else understood. And it's only the end for him- he's here to make sure that everyone else has a future.
He doesn't acknowledge the tears, but he doesn't let go of Ignis' hand right away, either. Letting go means that this moment is over, and he's not sure if he's ready for that yet. His feelings on what's to come are... complicated, understandably. He's made his peace, but that only means he'll follow through with his duty, as he always has despite complaints or the grief that made him falter at times, despite how it has never once brought him joy. He'd also said he had no regrets; that's true, but only because he'd been forced to let them go, lest they overwhelm him and make him falter. That doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt to think about everything he's about to lose. The brothers who gather around him here and now, Ignis at his side, Gladio and Prompto at camp giving them some space. His life, any chance he might have at being a proper king. Any adventures they might have together, exploring the world, helping people, discovering incredible new places none of them could have ever imagined. The love he carries for this world and everything in it.
He'll let the last of those regrets go, before it's over. But... right now... he doesn't want to move forward. Just a little longer. They've waited ten years- just a little longer-]
time 2 sad
Quietly, he's glad that Ignis can't see him like this. He'd only seen himself in the mirror at Hammerhead briefly, when he'd been given one last chance to clean up and make himself presentable before he marched himself towards the end. Poke at the beard he doesn't remember growing, brush the hair that falls past his shoulders in strange waves, study the tired lines of aging beyond his years the way his father did as the ring sapped his strength. He envies the others a little, for getting the chance to grow slowly and witness their changes over time, even if it all occurred in a horrible hellscape of a world. His father used to joke that he grew up too quickly, in a voice fond and sad in ways that Noctis didn't understand. Staring into the mirror and seeing a stranger stare back at him with only ghosts of familiar features... it's ironic in retrospect, with a painful little twinge in his heart. Ten years had come and gone in a fraction of time for him, too fast, with little time to reflect on everything he's missed: a full third of the lives of his dearest friends, probably half-forgotten by the people he was meant to protect, a king in name only. Stretched to fit into a body he no longer knows, a face he barely recognizes. The whole thing felt like overnight while at the same time an eternity, but here he is at the end of it all.
Ignis didn't get to see himself grow, either. But it means that in their hearts they can still be as they were- young, and wild, and stupid in ways that no one else understood. And it's only the end for him- he's here to make sure that everyone else has a future.
He doesn't acknowledge the tears, but he doesn't let go of Ignis' hand right away, either. Letting go means that this moment is over, and he's not sure if he's ready for that yet. His feelings on what's to come are... complicated, understandably. He's made his peace, but that only means he'll follow through with his duty, as he always has despite complaints or the grief that made him falter at times, despite how it has never once brought him joy. He'd also said he had no regrets; that's true, but only because he'd been forced to let them go, lest they overwhelm him and make him falter. That doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt to think about everything he's about to lose. The brothers who gather around him here and now, Ignis at his side, Gladio and Prompto at camp giving them some space. His life, any chance he might have at being a proper king. Any adventures they might have together, exploring the world, helping people, discovering incredible new places none of them could have ever imagined. The love he carries for this world and everything in it.
He'll let the last of those regrets go, before it's over. But... right now... he doesn't want to move forward. Just a little longer. They've waited ten years- just a little longer-]
Ignis... sit with me for a while?