Imagine asking Ardyn what he wants for the holidays.
You: “Seriously? Another fedora is not considered a proper gift for you, Ardyn Izunia.”
Ardyn: “One can never have too many hats, my darling. My very being is a testament to this.”
You: “Where do you even hide all of them?”
Ardyn: “Would you like to strip me down to find out?”
He stretches out his hands side-to-side, emphasizing his broad, masculine physique veiled beneath his many layers. You scolded him. Or at least tried to.
You: “A-Ardyn!”
Ardyn: “Slowly?”
At this, you smacked him playfully on the cheek. It was a means to chastise his silly and toward behavior but also to hide the raging blush creeping up your neck behind a scolding expressions. The casual, carefree look on his face told you that he was unaffected by your reproach and instead he takes a firm grasp of your waist, pulling you taut against him. The immense warmth radiating from his body enveloped you, an impish glint dances across his golden eyes as he gazed at you.
Ardyn: “I only slightly jest. Now, what has brought out this sentimental mood of yours?”
You: “The Day of the First Healer is upon us, the first Eosian cause for celebration in our world that promotes love and peace. Did you forget?”
You failed to notice his usual, lazy smile tense into a thin grimace let alone his hold on you in your shared embrace become tighter. The latter you assumed to be a motion of affection as opposed to a reflex of something…bitter.
Ardyn: “Ah, is that so? Forgive me, but I do not really relish in the luxuries that holidays offer. Chancellor and all.”
You: “Wait, you don’t celebrate? Ever?”
Ardyn: “To explain why would take ages.”
You: “We have time. Did you have a bad experience one year?”
Ardyn: “Something like that. Perhaps I will regale that tale for another occasion. But it is now dark out. Shall we take you home?”
It nearly slipped your mind that you were both out in the city. It was your idea to walk the streets together for some quality time and fresh air, though really you merely wanted to browse the shops you passed by in search of gifts. You had a gift for all of your friends and loved ones save for the love of your life. And it was supposed to be your first holiday together.
You: “You’re right but… Do you really not want anything?”
The man stops in his steps, for a moment you thought he turned into a statue at how sudden he stilled. Then, ever so slowly, he twists his body towards you. The crisp, chilly wind breezing through the air, tossing the wine-red strands in soft waves across his handsome face.
Ardyn: “Everything I have wanted…”
He steps forward.
Ardyn: “Everything I will ever need…”
Again.
Until he stands before you. His amber gaze held you so tightly in place it was if the moment he tore his eyes away, you would fall, fall deep into the swirling mix of emotions that set your senses awry in the most exquisitely exhilarating way. It was here that you decided he looked most beautiful.
Ardyn: “Is right here in front of me.”
.
.
.
Bonus:
Ardyn: “Although, that fedora shop we glanced at before had a most impressive selection, if you are so adamant.”
You: “Ardyn!”
You meant to hiss at his joke and desist his teasing, but your laughter filled his ears before you can stop yourself long enough to be annoyed with him. Try as you might, you never could be and he always loved how melodious your moments of joy was to his ears. No, he did not celebrate this particular holiday, a fabrication of peace constructed to hide the horrors of the truths of the ancient past. Yet when he felt the weight of your selflessness touch a part of his core he thought to have been long barren, the empty, cold space within gave way to a light and warmth that shook him…only slightly. Ardyn was not ready to tell you the truth about him, but as of right now as he walked along side you, hand in hand – he abandons the spite that guides him and instead allows himself to simply enjoy this moment.
This moment, right here, is the only happiness I have ever known on this day. It will not last forever, he mused, a somber smile sneaks onto his lips at this ironic thought on eternity that would usually mean little to him. And that only makes this all the more precious. It is funny, really. He wanted to say all of this out loud, but settled with confessing in his mind his truth to you.
Time meant nothing to me…until I met you. And now I fear I do not have enough.
He squeezes your hand in his as if doing so would convey all of these thoughts to you. You squeeze back in affection and smile brightly at him and you press yourself closer to his side.
It will have to do. He stops you both once again to hold your face in his hands and without a moment’s hesitation, he pulls you in, his lips pressed against yours. Once again, he felt his once unbeating heart move…and it was because of you.
that Ardyn Lucis Caelum is literally Lucifer. I know, we’ve all made so many jokes and references before, but I never stopped to think about the translation of his name as a whole phrase.
“Ardent Light of Heaven” is the literal translation. And, the ardent star is a word that was often used to refer to the planet Venus, the Morning Star (aka Lucifer, as it was also known in Roman times).
It’s “l’astre amoureux” in some French poetry. And just think how fitting a name it truly is for the once-Healer and Saviour:
“Comme l’astre amoureux dont la douce clarté | Dissipe au matin les ténèbres As the Morning Star with its sweet clarity | Dispels the darkness when morning comes” (Oeuvres Poétiques du Mme Dufrenoy, 1827)
He certainly did try to dispel the darkness.
And then, of course, there’s the fall from grace and all that follows.
Ardyn is a Lucifer parallel, not a Jesus parallel.
Finally, some more mythology nerd things: Venus had two sides in Greek mythology, which the Romans later adopted. In the morning, Venus was called the Morning Star/Phosphorus/Lucifer. But in the evening it was an entirely different personification: Vesperus/Hesperos, the Evening Star. Which is, definitely the Somnus side of the brothers, which Noctis later goes on to play the symbolic part of in their final fight.
Here’s a Lucifer family tree from Ovid’s Metamorphoses:
god, imagine sharing a bed with the person you love. chatting about dumb things! just sleeping! it’s like a sleepover but every night how sweet is that!!!!
Just thought it was interesting to note that Ravus’s sabre is called Alba Leonis which is Latin for “White Lion” (compared to Cor Leonis, which his name in Latin is literally “Heart Lion” or ‘Lion Heart’)
Also what Ravus is wearing is the official Tenebraen Raiment:
All I really want out of Episode Ignis is Ignis and Ardyn sassing each other. And Ignis and Ravus sassing each other. And Ignis and Ardyn and Ravus all sassing. Give us the fancy sassmasters all sassing with their fancy voices.
On three separate occasion, Noctis and Prompto managed to hide a full grown Chocobo in the Citadel for months at a time. The first time they were caught by Cor when he found them trying to get the birds to take a shower. He just closed the door and left.
Gladiolus, despite coming off as a man of a serin is actually very picky about those that he shares a bed with. The big guy is a super soft romantic at heart and may run on testosterone but he’s pretty good at keeping his pants buckled.
Everyone thought that Ignis was super quiet and withdrawn in his teenage years because he didn’t talk a lot. The main reason for this was that from the age of 14 to 17 Ignis sounded like he sucked on a helium balloon for every meal. Just one morning he woke up and had the beautiful voice he has now.
Lunafreya has on too many occasions felt so confide in one of her dresses that she purposely ripped a seam so that she could go home or change.
Ravus once spent 24 hours with a kitten in the lapel of his coat pocket, the only person to say anything about it was Umbra who wished to meet the kitten.
Regis once spilled an entire cup off water on himself in order to get out of a meeting. Clarus watched him do it, he watched Regis remove all the electronics from his pockets, push the important documents out the way and dump the water on his chest turned to his shield and goes, “I gotta go, I’m wet.” They left.
Clarus made Gladiolus and Iris take piano and violin lessons, he chose those instruments because “An Amicitia is not just brute strength…they both will also cause more damage if used as a weapon.”
When she was younger Iris would just stare at Regis unblinking, from three weeks old to three years, she would stare. While he was holding her, sitting in her bassinet, just staring every so often she’ll do it now. Regis feels she knows something he doesn’t…
Cor is often seen sitting in the garden of the citadel, many people think its where he goes to mediate so they don’t disturb him. He’s going out there to take a nap…he’s too old for this.
:3c wip preview! (i’m so excited for the date night zine, there’s a lot of Good Stuff being worked on)
Ignis: Hello, Ravus. Good to see you.
Ravus: And you. Apologies. It’s inappropriate for me to partake in such informal conversation in front of your colleagues.
Ignis: It’s all right. I am equally to blame.
Prompto: Oh my god. There’s two of them!
Ok, something I noticed while giffing Ravus, is this part:
I found it strange that he tries to smile, smile when in a few seconds he’ll break down sobbing for Luna not to go. Of course, being the Ravus fan who has no other purpose than to dig into him to find even the smallest hint of new character development I am, I wanted to figure out why.
It didn’t take too long before I realized something.
The only other time you see Ravus smile is in Luna’s scene, when he’s comforting her. Granted, some people don’t like this scene and call Luna a whiny brat, but I actually now have a counter to that statement.
Luna didn’t start crying until Ravus smiled.
Luna is being stubborn, and insistent. She wants Ravus to give Noctis the ring, she’s dying and it’s obvious. She’s reluctant to tell him she’s weak.
But watch what happens when he grabs her hands.
Her eyes flick about like she’s almost confused, and while I’m sure Ravus was in no means abusive towards Luna, he was probably cold and ignored her more often than not. Which is why him showing affection to her is something to make her unsure.
Which is why when he smiles and reassures his grip about her hands, almost like he was showing that he’s still there and will support her-
Luna ends up breaking down, not because of Noctis, but this time is because it’s the first she’s seen Ravus smile since their mother died.
I’ve seen a lot of people complain about how this is Luna just being upset she can’t see Noctis again, but I honestly don’t think that’s the case. If you also watch, it seems like she mouths ‘brother’ while she’s crying, which is also pretty interesting when throughout I can only ever remember her calling him ‘Ravus.’
But what does this has to do with Ravus smiling before cradling Luna? Well, here’s the thing, him smiling made her happy, it was her last memory of him, and he wants his little sister to be happy….so what else can he do but try to smile one last time for her?
The Extra Chapter shown in Episode Ignis. With but one decision, Ignis’s powerful desire to save Noctis finds another possibility.
Ardyn’s Arrogance, Ignis’s Secret Plan
In the midst of the pitched battle in Altissia, Ardyn draws a blade on the fallen Noctis and provokes Ignis. Will Ignis die with the rest here, or will he alone come with him? Finding a glimmer of hope in this inscrutable question, Ignis decided to go along with Ardyn.
Ardyn summons Ignis to Zegnautus Keep, where he reveals that he is a member of the royal line of Lucis who was driven from the throne, and that his goal is to have his revenge by killing the awakened True King Noctis. Along with the fact that to encourage the king’s awakening, he means to make sport of killing Ignis. Though wounded all over his body by Ardyn’s attack, Ignis has no intention of dying there. He puts on the Ring of the Lucii that he recovered in Altissia and, to save Noctis, boldly challenges Ardyn to battle. Ardyn had disdained Ignis as helpless; however, in the face of the immeasurable power granted by the ring, he is gradually pressed into becoming unable to hide his vexation. Then Ignis, having wagered everything and finally obtained the power to bring judgment on even a king, disintegrates Ardyn’s body.
Noctis and the others rush to Ignis, who has exhausted his powers. Desiring heart and soul to save Ignis, Noctis puts on the Ring of the Lucii and heals Ignis with the Crystal’s magic. Then he entered the Crystal of his own will, resolving to accumulate its magic power.
Time passes, and the final battle in the Crown City arrives. Ignis has been devising a secret plan to destroy the immortal Ardyn and drive out the darkness. There is no meaning in a peace obtained by sacrificing Noctis. His emotion surpasses even the intent of the gods and brings forth another future.
Details of the Other Possibility
Top left photo caption: In Zegnautus Keep Ignis gets a vision along with a headache, and learns that to save the world Noctis must be sacrificed.
Top right photo caption: Ignis on his knees before the overwhelming power of the revealed Ardyn Lucis Caelum. However, he did not come all this way just to be killed.
Lower caption: “But I refuse to let Noct sacrifice his life to save ours. I won’t let you take him away!”* In response to this fierce emotion, the Ring of the Lucii grants Ignis the power to surpass even a king. To the Kings of Yore residing in the ring, Ardyn is a enemy who must be defeated. If there is the opportunity to diminish his strength, they may grant power even to a user who is not a king.
At the Crown City Insomnia. On the path to the final battleground, Ravus awaits. Ravus, recognizing Noctis as the True King, entrusts him with the weapon of the final King of Yore: his father’s sword. Ravus joins them and the party heads towards the Citadel, expressions bright, appearing confident of the secret plan’s success.
*Note: This is a direct quote from the game, so I used the game’s rendering. More literally it’s something like “I will absolutely not accept a future where Noct is made a sacrifice!” If you spot any translation mistakes, drop me a line and I’ll fix it up.
A/N: not the Visionary update you were expecting but…
✝ ✝ ✝ ✝ ✝
In a vast future…
No, you wanted to save him. You had tried so hard to reach this point, there was no way—
In an instant, everything stopped. Colours faded as a true despair and desperation washed over you. You didn’t come so far just to fail and watch this happen in front of you.
No! Not again!
Somehow you blinked, or maybe she blinked into existence. You watched as Gentiana slowly stalked towards you. Her pale skin slowly frosted over into an ethereal shimmering blue, “I have seen many endings for humanity’s unravelling—many endings replayed over and over.” Her hands gently rested on your shoulders and it was like the wind was knocked out of you in an instant.
A fearsome cold grasped your heart with an iron grip, the sharp pain flooding your veins—power. Strength. Your determination, your will—it all flowed and forged into a tempered steel by Astral hands.
“You are my gambit—I will not let this story end in such tragedy again and again!” Her voice echoed in your head, your heart, your soul—not as Gentiana, but Shiva; Shiva who loved humanity the most, who loved so much and tried so hard to beat back the darkness. Shiva who chose you to be a saviour in this story.
You felt her arms around you, encompassing you.“You will be my sword,”
Time began to move again, sluggish at first. You would save him. “—their shield—”
The world was filled with colour again and time moved with all the speed and force and urgency that it had not a moment before, but this time, you were fast enough to keep up. You warped forward in a stream of white light and brushed away the near-fatal blast of darkness like a gust of air. You felt the energy dissipate between your fingertips, cancelled out by whatever Astral force Shiva had gifted you.
Ravus fell to his knees as he watched you stand before him protectively. There was something around you that made him want to cower almost instictively—a cold and primal fury that he knew he was lucky to witness while at your side.
“Don’t you fucking touch him.” Your eyes glowed a bright and vicious blue. Though she wasn’t there, you could feel Shiva’s hand on your shoulder. She could leave this to you, for now. “Iedolas Aldercapt, I will crush you.” He might have been a puppet, but he was too far gone to save. You would take care of the darkness here—now.
By your hand, Ravus Nox Flueret would live.
In bursts of black cloud, reinforcements were called to the emperor’s side and you shook your head at his futile attempt. What you didn’t expect was a pressure at you back as Ravus stood to cover you with the Sword of the Father raised. “I did not ask you to come save me.”
“You didn’t have to.”
There was a single moment of peace before the enemy converged on you at Iedolas’ command.
“Thank you.”
Somewhere in the platforms below, Ardyn Izunia stared at the flashes of light from the conflict. He turned and lowered his hat over eyes.
here is my tiny, little ink sketch contribution to this talented fandom, I’ve managed to scan and clean it up right in time! hope you like it (because I don’t think I do)
(to paraphrase: china is enacting a law on December 1 that will make it illegal to post any pornographic work. Do not repost or mention an author’s nsfw work on Chinese social media or you risk getting the artist/author in trouble legally)
Have I watched the movie in the last decade or more? No. Do I have iron clad evidence to support my argument? Yes.
1. She’s the most knowledgeable about candy. She’s committed to it, and knows her stuff. When Wonka holds up a little yellow piece across the room, she recognizes it immediately. She was able to switch to candy bars for the sake of the contest, so we know she has personal discipline and is goal oriented. Also, two major projects play directly into her strong suits: the 3-course-meal gum that Wonka failed to make safe (gum) and the neverending gobstopper (longevity).
2. She’s the most fit to run a business. Violet is competitive, determined, hard working, and willing to take risks. Her father is a small town car salesman and politician, so she could easily pick up knowledge and support from him. (Veruca’s dad is also a business man, and in a compatible market (nuts), but it’s made very clear that Veruca has no respect or knowledge of business practices or hard work.)
3. She’s the most sympathetic to the Oompa Loompas. She critiques Veruca when Veruca demands to buy one. More importantly, Wonka has been testing the 3-course-meal gum that ‘always goes wrong’ on Oompa Loompas while he presumably just watches. Violet is ready to put herself on the front line, instead of treating the Oompa Loompas as disposable, and would therefore be a better boss.
4. Her personality ‘flaw’ is the most fitting for the company. In the moralizing Oompa Loompa song, they just say ‘gum is pretty cool, but it’s not socially acceptable to chew it all day‘. The thing is, we already know that she can stop if she wants, because she already did that to win the golden ticket. And yeah, she is defensive about the perceived impoliteness of her hobby (like when her mother tries to shame her about her habit during a televised interview) but the obsession with candy and neglect of social norms is EXACTLY what Wonka is all about. This is on brand.
5. Her misstep in the factory is reasonable. Wonka shows everyone a candy he’s very proud of. Violet is like “oh sick, that’s gum, my special interest.” Wonka is then pulls a “WRONG! It’s amazing gum!” So in the very moments before she takes the gum Wonka has mislead her just to belittle her. So when he’s like “I wouldn’t do that” why should she give a shit what he has to say? She’s not like Charlie over here who’s all “Sure Gramps, let’s stay behind while the tour leaves and secretly drink this thing that has been explicitly stated to fill you with gas and is too powerful for safe consumption, oh and also I just saw what happened to Violet so I actually KNOW what this stuff can be capable of” Also, Violet is not selfish about her experience, she tells everyone what she’s tasting and feeling, and everyone is eager to hear it. Taking a personal risk to share knowledge with everyone. Violet is Prometheus: fact.
So Augustus contaminates the chocolate river. Charlie sneaks around and contaminates the vent walls. Veruca destroys and disrupts the workspace. Mike knows exactly what will happen to him and transports/shrinks himself deliberately. Violet had no idea what the gum could potentially do to her, and caused no harm to anyone or anything but herself.
Lastly: Can you imagine Charlie filling Wonka’s shoes? That passive, naive boy? Violet is already basically Wonka. She’s passionate, sarcastic, candy-obsessed, free thinking, and a total firecracker. She’s even better than Wonka, because she doesn’t endanger others.
Violet should’ve been picked to inherit the chocolate factory.
You don’t have to have 100+ notes on everything you write to have quality writing. Keep writing.
You don’t need to have reviews praising the ground you walk on–you don’t even need readers at all. Keep writing.
You don’t need to come up with the most unheard-of plot lines and most accepted head canons to have quality writing. Keep writing.
And most importantly, you don’t have to have quality writing right now and that’s okay. Keep writing.
We all start somewhere. It takes a lot of courage to post something for complete strangers to read, but keep writing. Keep posting. Keep asking for feedback. Look for people to help you grow. And many years later, you might roll your eyes and feel secondhand embarrassment over your past self’s word choices and character development. But I really hope that when that happens, you then go and pick up a pen or open up a blank document and you keep writing, knowing how far you’ve come and how far you can go.
~My Tumblr Back-Up And Stuffs~ 
You must be logged in to post a comment.