faesphere | Call Me Out / Open RP Post

[ As the waves of desire settle down between the two, he lets himself be pulled into that hug. His arms go around Noctis, his chin resting comfortably on Noct's shoulder. He lets himself breathe, quietly reflecting on everything.

He'd do anything for Noctis, he knows that much. But he feels his stomach dropping and a sense of worry coming over him. He takes a deep breath and nods his head. ]

Anything. [ he whispers. ] I promise. [ no matter how much it's going to hurt. ]

[Gods, here goes. He hesitates, then pulls back enough that he can look Ignis in the eyes, as much as he can see in the dim light. Ignis can't see him, but if he's going to ask him of this, he deserves to share whatever pain it causes Ignis.]

Promise me you'll live, after. Promise me you'll try to find happiness.

[When the sun rises, when he's gone. He's never thought Ignis to be the suicidal type, but self-sacrificial is absolutely a known trait in the man's personality. He doesn't want Ignis to think for a second of following Noctis into the beyond, as he'd followed him everywhere else, too. And... he doesn't want Ignis to just wallow in the grief of this, either. He doesn't want to be mourned forever.]

[ He can feel Noctis leaving his shoulder, pulling back a bit. Noctis is looking at him and waiting for his reaction, he waits a moment until Noctis speaks up.

He feels like he's been hit. Hard. He exhales a breath, but doesn't pull away or look away. Fresh tears prick at his eyes, though he doesn't let them fall. He says nothing, quiet and finding it difficult to speak up. He's hurt not by the request itself, but what Noctis thinks he'll do. He won't, he can't.

Couple of more minutes pass before he finally finds his voice. He gives Noctis a firm squeeze and tugs him back into that hug. ]

... I've got people depending on me here. The others, Cid, Cindy. I wouldn't-- [ he takes a deep breath ]

I'll join you on my own terms, when it's time for me to go. [ his voice is trembling, he doesn't resent Noctis for this at all. How can he? Not after the night they just shared. ] Be it by old age or sickness.

[ he turns his head a bit, planting a firm kiss on Noctis' cheek as if to say It's okay, I don't blame you. He'll do anything to protect Noctis, but he wouldn't dare pull a suicidal act like that. ]

[It's the answer he'd expected, but Noctis can't quite help the tension he'd felt as it slowly eases from his body language, and he leans his cheek into the kiss. He closes his eyes, exhales softly, and lifts one of Ignis' hands to press a kiss to his palm in turn.]

...Thanks. I... I'm sorry. I had to be sure. You've done so much... you deserve to have a life, Iggy. [Another kiss to his hand, longer this time, finding it difficult to let go.] Live for both of us.

[This part is selfish of him as well, he knows. To ask Ignis to carry his memory, live for the sake of anyone but himself. He almost doesn't say it, but the words leave his lips in a half-choked breath. Ignis has already lived for him, for so many years; one of the biggest reasons he'd had so much freedom, been able to live as lackadaisical as he'd done growing up, is because Ignis had stepped up and taken on so much responsibility. Still, if he's allowed to ask only one thing... he hopes Ignis won't take it too seriously. If it keeps the man alive on the darker days - and he knows there will be, he knows the pain of love and loss all too well - then he won't regret saying it.]

[ The tension is leaving his own body too. ]

I don't blame you, you're just looking out for me. Ten years hasn't changed you. [ he reaches for Noctis' free hand with his own and gives it an affection squeeze. ]

I already promised that I wouldn't forget you. [ How can he when the man means so much to him? ] You've given me a wonderful gift tonight, Noct. It's the least I can do to repay you.

I'll live for the both of us, I promise.

...Thanks.

[He said it already, but he can't help saying it again; he feels it too strongly, that wave of gratefulness that his friends will live on past him, that those he loves will endure beyond his death. They deserve it, fighting so long in the dark, waiting so faithfully. He'll do his best to give them a world worth living in- a world in the sun, a world where they can travel freely and see the stars.

He regrets that Ignis won't be able to see the clear sky - stargazing had been their thing, for years, so to lose it for both of them makes his heart ache - but that was the price he'd paid, and there's little to be done about it. All of his power, and he can't heal a wound so old, or grievous.

He lowers their hands between them, glancing back at the camp- things have quieted down, and he can see the silhouette of a figure still seated by the fire, keeping watch. Gladio, judging by the build- he's waiting up for them. They shouldn't linger too long, as they'll all need rest before tomorrow. He's slept for ten years, so he's okay, but the others deserve a full night's peace.]

We... should head back. Can't stay here all night. [Much as he wants to. If they're going to survive tomorrow, they can't go in half-assed.]

[ He doesn't want to either, but he slowly nods his head. ]

Alright, on one request. [ He squeezes both of Noctis' hands in his own. ] Why don't you get the sleeping bags ready? I'll join you in a few minutes, but I'd like to keep close to you.

[ He wouldn't mind sleeping next to Noctis, then waking up next to him later.

He's trying not to think about tomorrow, keeping it out his mind. He doesn't want to face it until he wakes up. ]

[Noctis makes a faintly amused noise at that.] Will do. [He's not opposed to the idea. In truth he'd like to surround himself by all of his friends, feeling them close to him, listening to them breathe and just indulging in the experience of being with them again, of being near people and getting to touch, see, hear them. He imagines the other two will be amenable to it, but if they're already asleep or less inclined, sleeping close to Ignis will be enough to satisfy that want. And Ignis making the suggestion means he doesn't have to ask for it. As it's happened so often before, Ignis knows what he needs even before he does.]

Don't stay out too late, or I'll come looking for you.

[He presses one last kiss to the corner of Ignis' mouth, squeezing his hands, before reluctantly stepping back. He takes a moment to find Ignis' gloves and visor, so he doesn't have to stumble around in the dark for them. He'll need them tomorrow. Then, he murmurs a quick "see you," (not a farewell) and heads for the fire to greet Gladio.]

I'll be fine.

[ As Noctis hands him his visor and gloves, he mumbles a soft "thanks". He can hear him walking away and he lets out a soft sigh. He lets a hand go to his lips where Noct had just kissed him. Butterflies hit his stomach hard again and his head feels fuzzy. He's on cloud nine, in love.

He takes a moment to reflect on the nights events. He's cried, he's confessed and had the most wonderful night in his life. It doesn't hit him until then just how exhausted he feels. Mentally and physically.

A thought does hit him. One more promise. To come to this campsite once a year to honor their last night together. He wants to keep this memory alive, somehow. Suddenly, he wants to be by Noctis' side.

He tugs his gloves back on at least, but he leaves the visor in his hand. He takes a step and misjudges it, curses mentally. The visor drops from his hand as he stumbles a bit, falling!

He's falling and he goes to grab an edge blindly---

--- but something catches him. A powerful arm has him locked in a tight grip. He feels like he's being crushed. It takes him a moment to process what just happened.

He slipped and fell, a daemon has him. One that he's tangled with before, but hasn't done so again. Most hunters stay away from this particular one. It's too deadly. Daemons had gotten more deadly as the years had gone by.

Ignis finds himself trapped, pinned against the daemon's chest, his own arms locked behind his back, pinned between him and the daemon's chest. Another problem, he can't summon out his daggers this way and his magic doesn't seem to be working. Cursing, he kicks back at the evil thing, but it isn't letting him go.

The daemon's arm is wide enough to where it's covering most of Ignis' upper body.

His throat is being pressed against too. Air! He's starting to struggle to breathe. He can't go out like this. No, no, no. He doesn't want to die.

Don't stay out too late, or I'll come looking for you.

Noct! He needs help, but that tells him enough. Noctis is probably worried sick about him about now. ]

Noct! [ he yells out, terrified, pleading, desperate. ]

Nooooooooooct! [ yelling as loud as he can, praying that his calls reaches Noctis' ears.

The daemon, once it snatched Ignis, had been walking away this whole time. Leaving the safety of the campfire. He's fighting with everything that he has, but it's a losing battle. He can't get himself free from the daemon's grasp like this.

His throat is being pressed on harder, causing him to start a bit. It's killing him, bit by bit. He's terrified out of his wits at this point. Ignis find that he can't yell anymore, his air pipes slowly being locked up. His face is twisting in pure pain. It hurts, oh god, does it hurt. It's hurting him to just breathe, but he keeps at it. Only thing that's keeping him fighting is the thought of Noctis.

He doesn't want to go out like this. Please, please, please... He can't die. Please let Noctis have heard him. Please he quietly begs.

I don't want to die without him... ]

[I'll be fine, he says. Noctis clings to those words, somewhat uneasy about leaving Ignis in the dark like that, but understanding that he might have his reasons. It was probably hard enough for him to cry in front of Noct, so maybe he wanted to make sure his grief could be contained before he faced the others again. He gets the sleeping bags arranged in a way that satisfies him, bullying his and Ignis' in the center with Gladio and Prompto flanking them. They can figure out who ends up where after the fact, and Noct has a few minutes to himself to decide. Prompto's arguably the best cuddler, but Gladio's a solid and secure wall between him and the outside. Maybe Ignis has a preference...

Once the tent is sorted, he heads back out to take Gladio's place by the fire while he waits for Ignis' return, mulling over sleeping options further to avoid letting his mind wander to darker things. He'd much prefer to measure the value of one bedfellow or another instead of contemplating his own mortality. Again.

Thankfully, he's not so lost in his thoughts that he misses Ignis screaming his name, out in the dark. In danger.

He curses and is on his feet in an instant, flinging his chair at the tent with a shout of, "Get up, there's trouble!" at the others before he's warping back in the direction of where he and Ignis had been talking. He can't point them where to go or leave them a guiding note, but his magic is hardly subtle, especially in the dead of night. They'll see his light in the dark.

Stupid, stupid! He should never have left. Privacy isn't worth someone's life. He warps once, twice, following the noise until he spots the telltale sickly glow of a daemon he's never seen before, wrapped around a figure he knows must be Ignis. he doesn't think beyond that, only summons the Blade of the Mystic and flings it at the daemon's arm, warping at once to stab then swing, trying to sever its arm and release Ignis from its grasp. Power surges to life around him, the light of the Crystal flaring and begging to be awakened, but he can't risk it until Ignis is loose. He phases through an enraged swipe of the monster's free hand, then swings again, and the limb tears free enough to release Ignis at last.]

[ Ignis is slowly losing his fight and battle with the daemon. It's hurting him to just breathe and life is fading from his eyes.

No! He has to hold on, he has to!

A familiar sound! Noct?! He wants to yell, but he can't. Instead, he eases his struggling a bit and the next thing he knows he's falling to the ground, landing with a thud and rolling a couple of paces away. He stops flat on his stomach.

He's not out of the clear. His mind is hazy, still struggling to breathe and not die on the spot. Weakly, he reaches a hand up, as if reaching out to Noctis, but it drops immediately. The only sign that he's alive is the pained breathing he's doing. ]

[Noctis spares a glance at Ignis for just a second, just long enough to confirm he's out of the way and isn't in need of revival; he's moving, that's a good sign. And he believes in Ignis, knows him well enough to recognize that it'll take more than that to kill him. Right now what he needs is a proper rescue, and though he's ten years overdue, Noctis is ready to deliver.

With Ignis out of immediate danger, he stretches a hand out and calls forth the Armiger, the full array of Royal Arms materializing around him and twisting through the air, tearing through the daemon's flesh at all angles. The creature roars and lunges for him; he ghosts out of the way, trying to kite it further away from Ignis, and away from camp. He can warp himself back to safety if he needs to, but he refuses to risk Ignis' life even further. To endure ten long years of endless night, only to die on the final day before dawn returns? Not a chance in hell. He's the King of Light, dammit, and he's carrying the whole Crystal inside him. This daemon's going to regret hurting someone he loves.

The Armiger increases in intensity, and Noctis lights up the sky like an entire storm of shooting stars, flashing from one side of the daemon to the other to keep it disoriented, flying through the air like a specter of death. It's already starting to stagger, and it begins to thrash more desperately at him, trying to knock him away so that it might survive, but he doesn't let up for a second. Just a little more...]

[ He can hear the sounds of battle now and he forces himself to focus in on that. It's Noctis. He recognizes the battle style immediately.

He can hear Noct move the daemon away from Ignis, even though his mind is hazy and pained. There's no way he's dying here tonight, which is why he's fighting so hard against it. He's stronger than that.

He attempts to push himself up, but he flops back down on the ground.

Ignis believes in Noctis, he believes that he can win this fight. Ignis can hold on just a little longer, just a little longer... ]

[The Armiger doesn't last forever, but it rains down enough fire and fury to bring the daemon to its last legs. As his power flares and bursts outwards, winking out and leaving him drained, Noctis sinks back to the ground and very nearly drops to his hands and knees. The daemon raises its arm, about to send him flying, but suddenly Gladio and Prompto come rushing out of the dark, the latter firing wild shots into the daemon's eye while the former blocks the attack meant for Noctis. His Shield snaps for him to grab Ignis and move- they'll finish it off.

Noctis doesn't like the idea of leaving them either, but at least they're together, and he doesn't intend to go far. He hastily moves to Ignis' shoulder and crushes a potion against his chest to mend the worst of his wounds, dragging the man's arm over his shoulders and pulling him upright so he can guide them back towards the camp.]

C'mon, Iggy, you're okay. Stay with me now.

[ Once the potion pops over his chest, he can feel himself returning more or less to normal. His breathing steadies out and his mind clears, no longer a fog. He allows himself to be pulled upright. Ignis gives himself a moment to just breathe and thankful that it's not hurting his wind pipes anymore. ]

You really come through for me tonight, Noct. [ Not just saving his life, but other things. ] I'm okay. [ he confirms. He wants to ask if Noctis is okay, but he knows better. He'd been the one in danger here. It's such a role reversal for the pair. Ignis is usually the one saving Noctis' life. ]

Yeah, I'm a big hero.

[There's no way to mask the relief he feels when Ignis speaks, so he doesn't bother trying. Instead he shifts Ignis' weight more carefully against himself, listening behind them for the sound of combat that might indicate that he has to run back and help the others, but it sounds like they're doing okay. He keeps heading for the campsite, as the roars of the dying daemon begin to dwindle at their backs.]

You better not pull anything like that again, you hear? I need you with me.

[ Well, this is unusual. Noctis isn't blaming himself over this mess? He has grown up. He too, can hear the battle dying down behind them. He clasps Noctis' shoulder while his hand is there.

He doesn't miss the relief in Noctis' tone though. ]

I do intend to keep my promise to you. [ he says softly. ] I'm sorry for scaring you like that, Noct.

[ he takes another breath of air, still thankful for his lungs working proper now. ] I just needed a moment to compose myself. I slipped and the daemon grabbed me when I fell.

That's one of the most dangerous daemons out here, most hunters stay away from it. I've tangled with it myself once before, but I got lucky and got away.

[ His thumb rubs at Noctis' shoulder a bit. ] If you're a hero, then you're my hero. You honestly saved my life tonight, Noct. [ Even Ignis can admit that it looked bad. He'd almost died. ]

[Noctis exhales through his nose, a little exasperated, though he's torn between directing it at Ignis or himself. Ignis shouldn't have been so reckless, but he shouldn't have left, either. Not when the world is still so dangerous, and so close to the edge.]

Better late than never...

[And there's that self-blame Ignis had expected, mumbled under his breath. Yes, he'd arrived in time to save Ignis, but wouldn't have gotten injured in the first place if they'd stuck together. He won't make that mistake again.]

[ And there it is. Ignis lets out a little sigh. ]

Share the load with me, Noct. [ He's taken back to Altissia for a moment, when he said those words to Noctis before. Even though they're still walking, Ignis carefully leans his head against Noctis' head, against his side. ]

[Noctis doesn't answer immediately, focusing on the head resting on his shoulders, the sounds of his friends in the background, no longer accented by the snarls of the daemon. Sounds like it's over, finally. He won't be able to relax until they're all back together again at camp, but they're almost there.]

You don't have to carry anything. It's more than enough, just knowing you're with me.

[He'd meant what he said earlier, before things grew more serious; if they're not with him in body, they're with him in spirit. But he'd absolutely prefer to have one over the other, if he can help it.]

[ For once, he's glad that they're not going to play the blame game, on who should shoulder it. Tonight of all nights, or any other night really. He won't let Noctis take the blame anyhow. It had been his fault that he'd ended up in trouble. ]

.... How did you know that I was in trouble? [ Ignis doesn't know if Noctis heard him or just had gotten worried. In the end, his answer doesn't matter cause he's alive, but it'd be nice to hear how Noct knew anyway. ]

Heard you yelling. Did you think I'd fallen asleep already?

[They reach the edge of the campsite, and he doesn't bother with the chairs, scattered haphazardly by their hurried run to Ignis' aid; he sets the man down on the ground by the fire, crouching beside him so he can check over his body for any lingering injuries.]

No, I was only able to yell twice, but I was afraid it didn't reach you. [ He lets himself be set down by the campfire. Glad for it's warmth. While the worst of his wounds were healed, Noctis will find nasty bruises on Ignis' arms from when the daemon had him in a locked hold. ]

It was bad, Noct. [ he can feel his walls coming down around Noctis again. Just like the rest of tonight. ] I was toeing on the edge of death, fighting back against it, but the thing that kept me alive and fighting back was you.

...I could tell. [There's an edge of discomfort in Noct's voice, a lingering fear.] You don't sound like that over just a papercut.

[The thought and fear siezes through him: if he'd just been a little more careless, a little more lazy, he could have lost Ignis. They wouldn't even have one last day together, it would just be over.

His fingers curl against Ignis' arm, brushing softly over the bruises in firelight.]

...I'm... glad I made it in time.

[ Ignis isn't aware that he's still hurt, he's had bruises on him before and never noticed them. So when Noct touches one, he lets out a little wince but doesn't speak up. He'll take it over the death scare he just had.

As Noctis speaks, he can hear the fear in his voice. It matched Ignis' own fear, back in Altissia all of those years ago. He has a pretty good idea of what Noctis must be feeling right now. He to, had been scared to death that he wouldn't make it on time to save Noctis.

He still says nothing, but moves to pull the man into a hug, quietly thanking him again with it. Words unspoken coming from Ignis. ]

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