[Noctis frowns at that, free hand lifting to fix the ruffled hair. Ten years later and he's still vain about his hairstyle, though in the world of ruin it wasn't like he had immediate access to all the usual styling material.]
I'd be fine with conceding... we've done enough fighting in a war. What was so bad about feeding you a strawberry, anyway? They're good.
[ He moves past Noctis and sits on the edge of the bed, his own cheeks going a little pink. ]
It was very uh, [ he struggles to find the right words here. ] intimate.
[ Green eyes to lift to meet Noctis'. ] I'm new to this, but I have read that can be seen as a sexual gesture. [ He sucks in a breath then ducks his head a bit. Now it's his turn to feel embarrassed. ]
[As if he wasn't blushing enough already... Noctis shifts from foot to foot, feeling sheepish at having done so unintentionally. Who knew that something so seemingly innocent could be interpreted that way.]
Sorry... if I made it weird.
[He didn't know what else to say. This was the last day and all, but he was still new to kissing, nevermind everything else. And it probably wasn't a good idea to get any more... well, attached.]
[ Ignis just shakes his head. ] Hardly your fault. [ he mumbles, Ignis had taken it that way, just cause from the books that he'd read as a early teenager. He loved to learn so reading up on stuff like that didn't bother him, it was all a part of learning, but he'd never thought it come to practice for him. Kissing being the new thing.
He looks up to watch Noctis, seeing his blush and shifting. ] Noct, it's quite okay. [ he pats free spot on the bed next to him. ]
[Noctis offers up a tiny, sheepish smile and heads over to sit beside Ignis, leaning over so their shoulders brush. He ducks his head, holding the unopened Ebony between his knees.]
I'm new to this too. Never got this close before.
[There'd never really been anyone. From the announcement of the treaty terms right up until they were going to leave Galdin, one of his biggest concerns were what Luna's expectations of him might be as her husband right off the bat. All of that had been thrown to the wayside after Insomnia fell, and he'd never given it another thought since. And prior to their adventures, he had barely met anyone in Insomnia who didn't treat him like a prince more than a person. He couldn't imagine finding romance with someone who put him on a pedestal like that.
Ignis... he still had his duty, his loyalty to the crown and to Noctis himself. But at least he was able to juggle the two in a mostly healthy manner. He was a retainer to Noctis all his life, but they were primarily friends at the start, and that feeling had never gone away. Ignis is safe and comfortable for Noctis, in ways few people could boast.]
[ His own can of Ebony is opened and he shifts it to his other side, keeping it out the closeness that they're sharing. He hesitates, then places an arm around Noctis' shoulders. He knows that both of their lives weren't easy, but being with Noctis is just comfortable and safe. His trust for Noctis is at an all time high. ]
A certain special king told me to be selfish and I'm glad I did. [ he takes in a little breath ] I never thought this would happen to me. [ especially after he became blind, and during that ten years, he'd given up on it. ]
[Noctis hums faintly, resting more comfortably against Ignis.]
Me too. I'm... glad neither of us have to go through this alone.
[He'd been terrified of dying, before, and had said as much. Some of that fear still lingers, but Ignis is undeniably helping. This is what he'd meant, about asking how to be brave.]
[ Ignis smiles softly to himself, letting Noctis rest against him. They're not alone, they're together. If it's one thing that Ignis has been learning from this, that it's better to be loved than not at all. Sure, it's going to hurt that much more come tomorrow, but it'll been worth it.
Ebony and pastries forgotten for now, he lets himself have this moment of peace with Noctis. They need each other, he can't deny that. Noctis has been such a comfort to Ignis since he popped out of the Crystal. It's making his heart hurt less.
It's only when the timer goes off that he jumps a little, nearly spilling his Ebony. But he catches it and gives a chuckles. ]
Ah, we nearly forgotten those. Did you want to see how they came out?
Of course. I finally helped make a batch- it would suck if the last one ended up burned.
[Has Ignis ever burned his food? No memory comes to mind. Regardless, he doesn't want to be the cause of it, so he gets up and ventures into the kitchen, opening the oven to check on them.]
[ He follows Noctis into the kitchen, setting his Ebony down on the counter. He kneels down to check on the pastries and hms to himself. ]
Let's get them out. [ He flips the timer off before it drives them crazy then he grabs a pair of oven mitts. He takes the batch out of the oven and sets them down on the stove.
Pulling a mitt off, he gently pokes it first. Then he rampages around for a knife and cuts one of them open, seeing that yes, it's done. ]
We're good, [ he says as he shuts the oven door and the oven itself down. ] did you want to take them to the next destination? [ seeing as how the strawberries came with them and all ]
[He hadn't really thought about what the next destination would be, but... now, in light of everything they've gathered together, he has one.
He tucks his Ebony can into his suit pocket- it's not open yet, but he can try them both together in the next place. (And give it to Ignis, when he inevitably hates the flavour.)]
See if you can find a box for them, since they're still hot. I'll grab a blanket and we can head out. I know where we're going, and we'll need it.
[ Ignis raises an eyebrow, but he trusts Noctis. He kneels down again to check cabinets until he finds a box. He quickly packages up the pastries and heads out of the kitchen, not before grabbing his own Ebony. He carefully tucked the box underneath his arm, leaving a hand free. ]
We're good to go. I trust you, Noct. [ He holds out his hand this time, allowing Noctis to take it. ]
[Noctis accepts it easily - it's getting easier each time they do this - and checks around the room before leading them to... the closet. Yep. And in they go, disappearing into the dark.
The Leville fades away, and the world rematerializes itself into a familiar sight: a high hill on the fringes of Insomnia, still technically in the city proper and well within the limits of the wall. Insomnia looks like it always used to, before the fire and the daemons moved in and took over, a brilliant, glittering horizon, never asleep, true to its name. It's the middle of the night, but thanks to the distance from the city, the sky is bright with millions of stars, and the moon is full and glowing above them, giving their surroundings a soft light to guide their path.
Noctis pauses for a moment to quietly drink in the sight, then smiles over at Ignis, squeezing his hand.]
Thought it would be nice to look at the stars, one more time.
[The sky back home is dark, the stars smothered by the cloud of whatever it is that the scourge expels into the air thanks to the daemons, and Ignis is blind there, anyway. After the days and nights of the past return to normal, the stars will come back, but Noctis will be gone and Ignis might never see again. This is their thing, their escape from the Citadel and all the responsibilities of the crown, a way to allow them to be free for a few hours, once in a while. It can still be their escape now.]
[ The closet, Ignis can't help but let out an amused laugh. But again, he's patient as the world goes into darkness then returns to his senses.
He's surprised at where they end up, memories of their childhood come back. The stars, but of course. It's a moot point back home these days cause of the ever lasting night and he's blind, but it's been well over ten years since he's seen the stars.
He squeezes Noctis' hand back, looking to the stars. ]
I... it's wonderful, Noct. [ His own breath feels like it's been taken away at the sight. Now he gets why Noctis wanted to grab a blanket with the chill in the air. Ignis slowly releases Noctis' hand. ] Let's get comfortable. [ He wants nothing more now than to cuddle up with Noctis while they poke at the pastries, Ebony and take in the beautiful sight before them. ]
[Noctis spreads out the Leville blanket in the grass near the edge, but with enough room to stretch out comfortably, and sits down on one side, leaving the other for Ignis. He tugs the Ebony from his pocket and sets it in the dirt, leaning back on his hands with his legs out in front of him, gazing up at the sky.]
...Huh. The stars look different.
[It's the same sky that's ever been above Insomnia, isn't it? Late spring, judging by the weather, so it ought to look the same. Is he remembering it wrong?]
[ Ignis gratefully takes the other side, sliding close to Noctis so that their legs are touching. He carefully takes the box out from underneath his arm and places it half on his lap and the other half on Noctis' lap. He flicks open the lid of it, looking down briefly to see that the treats made the trip okay. He too, sets his own Ebony down beside him for the moment.
He looks up back to the sky at Noctis' comment. ]
... How do you mean? [ As he picks out a pastry. After being in the dark for so long, he can't remember the sky, all he knew was darkness. ]
[Noctis studies the stars for a bit, scrutinizing the arrangement of what should be constellations, until after a long moment it clicks, and he exhales a burst of near-breathless laughter.]
Gods... that might be someone else's memory. From the- from the Crystal. The sky looked different thousands of years ago.
[He shakes his head at the absurdity of it and reaches over to take a pastry for himself.]
Bahamut's lucky I didn't come back with a memory so messy I forgot what I was even meant to do here. Can you imagine? We show up in Insomnia and I end up asking the "Accursed" who the hell he is.
[ Ignis blinks as he studies the sky further, they're looking at a sky from thousands of years ago? He laughs himself, shaking his head. ]
No wonder I couldn't place it either. [ he looks back at Noctis, giving him a smile. ] We would've reminded you. The three of us, we wouldn't let you forget.
...Yeah. I don't think even the Draconian would have let me lose those memories. Ardyn wanted me to hate him enough to kill him, but the Crystal wanted me to know his history, so I'd set him free from his curse. I probably need both to end it all.
[Without those memories, would he have the resolve he needs to see it through to the final blow? To survive whatever Ardyn sends his way? Who knows. He's just grateful that at last, he has all the tools he needs to finish the prophecy, fulfill his duty, and save everyone. It's been a long enough road for all of the people waiting on him.
He doesn't want to spare Ardyn any more of his thoughts now, though, so he shrugs it off and takes a bite of the pastry. He closes his eyes immediately, making a soft, appreciative noise. That... that is the one.]
...You did it... you finally did it. It's perfect, Specs.
[ He doesn't really want to talk about Ardyn or what's to come tomorrow either, so he just listens quietly, turning the pastry over in his hand.
Specs, now there's a nickname that he hasn't heard in a long, long time. Feeling pleased with himself though, he glances back at Noctis. ] I seem to recall having a bit of help. [ then he starts eating his own pastry. ]
I... wanted to give it a final go, whether we found the strawberries or not. It's been far too long since I've given it a try.
It's good to hear that it's perfect. [ finally, after all of these years. ]
You'd better remember the recipe. Gladio and Prompto will want to try it, too.
[Once the world is thriving again, at least. Once the crops begin to flourish and travel between Lucis and Tenebrae is safe, when he can pick wild ulwaat berries and waste resources on dessert instead of rations.]
Noct, it's me. [ He can't help but give Noctis an amused look at that, come on, he has this one memorized to the letter. ]
Admittedly, Lestallum wasn't for my sake, it on a blind faith that I could give the pastries another go. I wanted to, for you, Noct. [ he smiles before he looks back to the sky, snatching his Ebony can in his hand and finally takes a sip of it. ]
Ebony became rare after some time, it has been a while.
I was wondering about that. Already thought it was incredible how much everyone's survived these past ten years, but knowing you went without this stuff? I thought it was in your blood.
[He finally cracks open his can and takes a sip... and grimaces, leaning away from it.]
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[Doesn't stop him from following Ignis, after washing his hands- and flicking the droplets at Ignis' face as he passes to fetch his own can.]
That's more fun when you have glasses on... can you see okay like this?
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Yes, I'm fine. I can see just fine without my glasses.
[ He pops the can of Ebony open. He always preferred his world to be crystal clear, but he's honestly not minding not having his glasses here.
He follows after Noctis and ruffles his hair with his free hand. ] Careful, [ he warns ] we might have a war on our hands.
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I'd be fine with conceding... we've done enough fighting in a war. What was so bad about feeding you a strawberry, anyway? They're good.
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It was very uh, [ he struggles to find the right words here. ] intimate.
[ Green eyes to lift to meet Noctis'. ] I'm new to this, but I have read that can be seen as a sexual gesture. [ He sucks in a breath then ducks his head a bit. Now it's his turn to feel embarrassed. ]
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[As if he wasn't blushing enough already... Noctis shifts from foot to foot, feeling sheepish at having done so unintentionally. Who knew that something so seemingly innocent could be interpreted that way.]
Sorry... if I made it weird.
[He didn't know what else to say. This was the last day and all, but he was still new to kissing, nevermind everything else. And it probably wasn't a good idea to get any more... well, attached.]
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He looks up to watch Noctis, seeing his blush and shifting. ] Noct, it's quite okay. [ he pats free spot on the bed next to him. ]
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I'm new to this too. Never got this close before.
[There'd never really been anyone. From the announcement of the treaty terms right up until they were going to leave Galdin, one of his biggest concerns were what Luna's expectations of him might be as her husband right off the bat. All of that had been thrown to the wayside after Insomnia fell, and he'd never given it another thought since. And prior to their adventures, he had barely met anyone in Insomnia who didn't treat him like a prince more than a person. He couldn't imagine finding romance with someone who put him on a pedestal like that.
Ignis... he still had his duty, his loyalty to the crown and to Noctis himself. But at least he was able to juggle the two in a mostly healthy manner. He was a retainer to Noctis all his life, but they were primarily friends at the start, and that feeling had never gone away. Ignis is safe and comfortable for Noctis, in ways few people could boast.]
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A certain special king told me to be selfish and I'm glad I did. [ he takes in a little breath ] I never thought this would happen to me. [ especially after he became blind, and during that ten years, he'd given up on it. ]
Out of all people, I'm glad it's you, Noct.
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Me too. I'm... glad neither of us have to go through this alone.
[He'd been terrified of dying, before, and had said as much. Some of that fear still lingers, but Ignis is undeniably helping. This is what he'd meant, about asking how to be brave.]
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Ebony and pastries forgotten for now, he lets himself have this moment of peace with Noctis. They need each other, he can't deny that. Noctis has been such a comfort to Ignis since he popped out of the Crystal. It's making his heart hurt less.
It's only when the timer goes off that he jumps a little, nearly spilling his Ebony. But he catches it and gives a chuckles. ]
Ah, we nearly forgotten those. Did you want to see how they came out?
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Of course. I finally helped make a batch- it would suck if the last one ended up burned.
[Has Ignis ever burned his food? No memory comes to mind. Regardless, he doesn't want to be the cause of it, so he gets up and ventures into the kitchen, opening the oven to check on them.]
Uh... do they look done? I think they look done.
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Let's get them out. [ He flips the timer off before it drives them crazy then he grabs a pair of oven mitts. He takes the batch out of the oven and sets them down on the stove.
Pulling a mitt off, he gently pokes it first. Then he rampages around for a knife and cuts one of them open, seeing that yes, it's done. ]
We're good, [ he says as he shuts the oven door and the oven itself down. ] did you want to take them to the next destination? [ seeing as how the strawberries came with them and all ]
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[He hadn't really thought about what the next destination would be, but... now, in light of everything they've gathered together, he has one.
He tucks his Ebony can into his suit pocket- it's not open yet, but he can try them both together in the next place. (And give it to Ignis, when he inevitably hates the flavour.)]
See if you can find a box for them, since they're still hot. I'll grab a blanket and we can head out. I know where we're going, and we'll need it.
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We're good to go. I trust you, Noct. [ He holds out his hand this time, allowing Noctis to take it. ]
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The Leville fades away, and the world rematerializes itself into a familiar sight: a high hill on the fringes of Insomnia, still technically in the city proper and well within the limits of the wall. Insomnia looks like it always used to, before the fire and the daemons moved in and took over, a brilliant, glittering horizon, never asleep, true to its name. It's the middle of the night, but thanks to the distance from the city, the sky is bright with millions of stars, and the moon is full and glowing above them, giving their surroundings a soft light to guide their path.
Noctis pauses for a moment to quietly drink in the sight, then smiles over at Ignis, squeezing his hand.]
Thought it would be nice to look at the stars, one more time.
[The sky back home is dark, the stars smothered by the cloud of whatever it is that the scourge expels into the air thanks to the daemons, and Ignis is blind there, anyway. After the days and nights of the past return to normal, the stars will come back, but Noctis will be gone and Ignis might never see again. This is their thing, their escape from the Citadel and all the responsibilities of the crown, a way to allow them to be free for a few hours, once in a while. It can still be their escape now.]
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He's surprised at where they end up, memories of their childhood come back. The stars, but of course. It's a moot point back home these days cause of the ever lasting night and he's blind, but it's been well over ten years since he's seen the stars.
He squeezes Noctis' hand back, looking to the stars. ]
I... it's wonderful, Noct. [ His own breath feels like it's been taken away at the sight. Now he gets why Noctis wanted to grab a blanket with the chill in the air. Ignis slowly releases Noctis' hand. ] Let's get comfortable. [ He wants nothing more now than to cuddle up with Noctis while they poke at the pastries, Ebony and take in the beautiful sight before them. ]
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...Huh. The stars look different.
[It's the same sky that's ever been above Insomnia, isn't it? Late spring, judging by the weather, so it ought to look the same. Is he remembering it wrong?]
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He looks up back to the sky at Noctis' comment. ]
... How do you mean? [ As he picks out a pastry. After being in the dark for so long, he can't remember the sky, all he knew was darkness. ]
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Gods... that might be someone else's memory. From the- from the Crystal. The sky looked different thousands of years ago.
[He shakes his head at the absurdity of it and reaches over to take a pastry for himself.]
Bahamut's lucky I didn't come back with a memory so messy I forgot what I was even meant to do here. Can you imagine? We show up in Insomnia and I end up asking the "Accursed" who the hell he is.
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No wonder I couldn't place it either. [ he looks back at Noctis, giving him a smile. ] We would've reminded you. The three of us, we wouldn't let you forget.
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[Without those memories, would he have the resolve he needs to see it through to the final blow? To survive whatever Ardyn sends his way? Who knows. He's just grateful that at last, he has all the tools he needs to finish the prophecy, fulfill his duty, and save everyone. It's been a long enough road for all of the people waiting on him.
He doesn't want to spare Ardyn any more of his thoughts now, though, so he shrugs it off and takes a bite of the pastry. He closes his eyes immediately, making a soft, appreciative noise. That... that is the one.]
...You did it... you finally did it. It's perfect, Specs.
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Specs, now there's a nickname that he hasn't heard in a long, long time. Feeling pleased with himself though, he glances back at Noctis. ] I seem to recall having a bit of help. [ then he starts eating his own pastry. ]
I... wanted to give it a final go, whether we found the strawberries or not. It's been far too long since I've given it a try.
It's good to hear that it's perfect. [ finally, after all of these years. ]
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[Once the world is thriving again, at least. Once the crops begin to flourish and travel between Lucis and Tenebrae is safe, when he can pick wild ulwaat berries and waste resources on dessert instead of rations.]
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Admittedly, Lestallum wasn't for my sake, it on a blind faith that I could give the pastries another go. I wanted to, for you, Noct. [ he smiles before he looks back to the sky, snatching his Ebony can in his hand and finally takes a sip of it. ]
Ebony became rare after some time, it has been a while.
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[He finally cracks open his can and takes a sip... and grimaces, leaning away from it.]
Oh man... that's strong.
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