#ardynis

Chapter 8 Up

I’m surprised this was a rather quick update... muse has been kind to me.

Talcott: Dinner Date

Talcott never put too much thought into how young he was. Perhaps if the circumstances had been different, he would have realized that what he was doing was out of the norm for a child but with the long night. Normalcy was a fleeting emotion that wasn't worth having. Nothing about his youth would be the same anymore. Talcott was sure that many children felt the same way. One day, they were attending classes in Insomnia, but the next, they were worried about bombs being dropped on them while they studied, holes being blown into their chests by Imperial soldiers from Niflheim, or their properties being looted and burned by MTs. No one from the royal houses down to the poorest plebians had seen or experienced anything like that before. The wall had always protected them, and not one citizen in Lucis could ever conceive that it would fall, that Regis would die, that everything that their kingdom had been built upon would be decimated in a matter of months.

Reality had been horrible. Talcott had concluded that the naive ideals that he had were meaningless. He wanted to believe that everything would work itself out, but the more time went on, the more that he saw how hard people were trying to survive and fleeing for their lives, of course he was going to grow up. No time had been more apparent when he thought of the men that had taken Jared away from him. Talcott hadn't realized what he had been saying to the Niflheim troops at the time. He could not know the cruelty of man when such a small comment about Lucis could transgress the way that it had. He could see the lifeless eyes of his grandpa after he and Iris had found him shot to death. Even back then, he didn't understand why such a thing had happened. The world that he had come from had people willing to help, people that were warm and inviting. But the world outside of Lucis was savage. He wasn't ready for it at the time, no child could have been.

When Jared died, so did a part of Talcott. The psychological wound he suffered wasn't as bad when his mom had died of illness. Not even when his father who had been drafted and proudly served in the Kingsglaive died on the war front defending the capital that they all loved. Those deaths were justified for when you are a soldier you take the oath and risk life and limb for king and country and illness strikes everyone regardless of age, status, or creed. Talcott supposed Jared was that way too, a retainer to the crown for House Amicitia. Unlike his parents though, Jared was not on the battlefield when he died. He was merely trying to mitigate the damage from the chaos brought onto Niflheim's assault on Insomnia. He was trying to bring peace in the minds in those that didn't want to be caught up in the war.

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A hot tub awaits, smelling strongly of lavender, with petals floating atop the water. Adjacent, a small table with a large bouquet of flowers, two empty plates and glasses, and a bottle of expensive champagne. A meal sits in the oven, not yet ready but soon to be, yet the scent of it wafts through the balcony doors, teasing at what awaits.

"It was... my turn to appreciate you, for the lengths you have gone to to see to my care. I... pray it is not too... silly?" He reddens as he looks away sheepishly, still not used to having such a kind, considerate ( and beautiful ) partner.

Adyn smiled and did as he was told, one hand in Ignis' as a guide, though he hardly needed it for the apartment now. He wouldn't lie that a thrill did not run through him when Ignis asked. It had been a very long time since he was close enough to a paramour that they were interested in trying such gestures. Always short liaisons, so neither he nor they would get hurt. Ignis was special.

He smells flowers and food, sure to be perfectly cooked by Ignis' hands. He feels steam both from the kitchen and the direction of the Bath, he thumbs circles on the back of Ignis' hand. He's excited to see everything.

He opens his eyes to look before answering, not that it would change his words. It's beautiful, and romantic, and sappy, and Ardyn adores it. He pulls Ignis close to him, making sure the younger sees his glittering eyes and flushed face. He's no reason to hide how much he adores the gesture.

Chapter 9 Up

Ardyn and Ignis: Kneel

A/N: I normally don't bother with chapter disclaimers, but I'll make an exception for this and another chapter that will occur in this arc. In terms of content, "Kneel" will be pretty... emotional. Read with care (and no, I'm not speaking of the sexual aspect of the writing either).

Ardyn dropped his form of Emus as he kept watching Ignis even after standing. For once, he was unable to predict the man's actions and was on guard. "You are angry." Then he looked at the polearm again as the flames grew brighter. "Well… perhaps that is putting it mildly."

"Why," Ignis started off. "Why are you bothering Talcott?"

"Oh? Is that what is getting under your skin? You think I was going to harm that boy?" He laughed softly. "You think so little of me."

"I'm done with your games Ardyn."

"Done you say?" He inquired. "And how do you suppose you are going to dictate that type of action against me?" Obviously he was being coy, but the 'rules' had always been set by Ardyn, and it was curious why Ignis suddenly thought otherwise.

Perhaps it was foolish to try to turn against Ardyn, but the audacity of the man had been too much. Flaunting Talcott in front of him like that… trying to befriend him. "You said you'd leave everyone out of it."

"Ah," Ardyn mused. "So that is what this is about. Strange you say I am forbidden to interact with the people here. It seems you are the one that told him about me. I cannot help that." Nevertheless, Ardyn really did not intend to harm the child, but he doubted that he could convince the man of this given that he was so emotional. "Be honest with yourself. You aren't upset at the fact that I spoke to that boy. What you are angry about… what bothers you about this is you are back in the same position as before." The demon pointed out. "I was honestly expecting you to be gone far longer... Was the thought of me alone with Noctis far too great for you?"

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Chapter 7 Up

It’s pretty obvious that I like writing about my favorite Daemon King lol. Halfway through this fic now.

Ardyn: Secret Life

Another bump on the road had Ardyn open his eyes. Wedged in the passenger side door, he and twenty other Kingsglaive were headed out to their newest destination. As he had anticipated, there was another monster raid and Emus had been recruited to join in on the purge. Admittedly he had mostly volunteered just for his own curiosity to see what the fuss was about. It seemed as though the daemon situation had been getting surprisingly worse. The casualties had been on the rise and the means of protection to stop his aggressive "children" seemed to always be the topic of discussion. They were getting scared, and rightfully so. Without a steady light source, daemons had and always would have an advantage. Perhaps that is why the monster raids were becoming a bit more routine. It was no longer about trying to keep them from coming close to the settlements so much as a constant culling to ensure that a hoard didn't overwhelm an area.

Though Galdin Quay hosted Noctis and the crystal. Many Kingsglaive in the area were being sent to Lestallum to deal with the growing population. Several times, he had been asked to go there, and when he didn't, an officer position at Galdin Quay had been offered to him. He declined both promotions much to the dismay of the commanders. He'd been at the top before, paperwork and bureaucratic nonsense. When he was making a name for himself during the rise of Niflheim, it had been for a chance to kill Regis and Noctis. There would be no point in trying to start over given the circumstances. He was content with his "life" that he had carved for himself. Ignis certainly kept him entertained as did watching the regular folks struggle to survive. One thing that was becoming apparent to Ardyn was that the small towns and cities would have to be abandoned. It was a pity that Noct was taking his precious time in the crystal. By the time he emerged, the demon wondered if the population would suffer from a biblical blow as Solheim did in ancient mythology. What an interesting world. Who was to say that no one could enjoy the simple pleasures in life?

There were two main reasons why the daemons had been gathering in Schier Heights. A few Kingsglaives had been tasked to gather Mythril from the mines there. Given how rare the metal was, it was imperative to get as much of it as they could to help with weapons. So though only a few Kingsglaive were stationed to go at a time, their continued presence had attracted the daemons. It had gotten so bad that they had called a raid to clear the area and further reinforce another path for those that might need to travel to Galdin Quay. All such things were simply a delay to the option that many didn't want to face. The small settlements had to be abandoned. Even Galdin Quay's significance was being scrutinized now. The crystal did need to be protected, but the heavy presence of the Kingsglaive only kept attracting daemons to the King they tried oh so desperately to protect.