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[ As soon as he leaves the shuttle, Ignis is surrounded by posters tacked to the walls of the Wonderduck that are strange enough that make him stop and pull one down to stare at it for a moment.

So, the rumors had reached this ship as well. While he appreciated the set of gourmet cookware and knives, he wasn't sure he was keen on the whole "raging lunatic" aspect of being a celebrity chef. He hadn't thrown cookware at anyone, ever. And while he'd had Noctis help him a few times while camping, he hadn't been a sous chef either.

He looks up as he hears the sounds of a familiar voice grumbling as they rip down more posters and he can't help but smile. ]

It's astounding that they've managed to find out this little secret. Especially without Prompto being here.

Ugh. You saw them too? The fliers.

[At least with Ignis he didn't have to be embarrassed about it as much. They had taken those pictures for Luna, at the time, and the last thing he wanted was other people finding out and asking about them.]

If you see any more - do me a favor and just chuck them as far as you can so no one will see them.

[Those pictures were personal damn it!! He didn't need people asking about them or if he was actually a model!]

They are a little hard to miss, Noct.

[Literally everywhere, buddy. What did you expect?]

Yes, of course, if you wish, but that this of all things should be the rumor spread around the fleet about you is a little...underwhelming.

[Especially when Ignis knows so many of your dark, deep secrets.

Not that he's share them.]

Do you have time for our discussion? Or are you preoccupied trying to protect your lucrative modeling career back on Eos?

[He looks at Ignis incredulously.]

Wait- you want there to be more rumors? Like what?

[et tu, Ignis. Whose side are you on?]

I- yeah. I guess.

[He wilts a bit, worry making him feel uneasy. He'd really hoped never to have to break the bad news to Ignis about everything related to Altissia, and yet he knew if he didn't Ardyn just might beat him to it for fun.]

[And Ignis just looks back at him as if he's not said anything incredulous.]

Considering the plethora of private information I have about you, this seems intrinsically unimportant. Unless you would like for me to share with the rest of the fleet how your apartment in the Crown City looked for a good 80% of the time you lived there.

[Not that he would, mind you. But, seriously, Noct, this is the guy with all the dirt on you. A little modeling is nothing.]

I believe that I would like to have the full story from your mouth. The little hints that Izunia is parcelling out leave a foul aftertaste. Shall we move to your quarters then?

[Is he going to end up cleaning up after you? Probably.]

Specs, you wouldn't....

[He knows he wouldn't but STILL. Intense pouting commence.]

Right. Yeah let's - talk about all of that then. I'll lead the way.

[HIS ROOM IS NOT THAT BAD. Sort of. Still, he leads Ignis to it, trying not to think of how awful this could all go over with him.]

Edited 2017-04-12 22:10 (UTC)

[Ignis's reply is to merely stare at Noctis with a blank expression on his face. Let him think that one through. Loyalty to friend and king is something he does well, but also it's okay to let Noct stew a bit.]

Perhaps I might. Without Gladio here, someone must take up the baton of giving you a hard time. I might not do it in quite the same way, but I assure you that I can think of a million ways to make your life difficult.

[He follows behind the other man to his room, quiet and watching the way that his body language seems to practically scream that he doesn't want to have this conversation but he must. It's a bit overwhelming to see how different he's behaving right then.]

I can only assume that whatever you have yet to say to me about this leads to a death or two. Chancellor Izunia was only too kind to leave me little hints of things I didn't know about during our first talk. So, best to get that out of the way.

[As soon as they're in the safety and quiet of his room, Noctis is rubbing his forehead. Stress practically rolls off of him.]

Goddamn it... I really hate that guy.

So - short version then: Leviathan wrecked the city, Ardyn killed Luna and she saved us all from getting drowned - barely. I made my contract with Leviathan before I blacked out, woke up, and there were some injuries after the fight for everyone.

[That was all plenty enough for one breath, so he takes a moment to steel himself.]

You got hurt helping with evacuation efforts. Badly. But you didn't die.

[He wouldn't be able to talk to him - mostly calmly - like this if he had. It was bad enough talking to Luna about her own death without breaking down into tears. At least with Luna he could put on a tough act and she would humor him.]

Edited (TO LESSEN THE BLOW LOL) 2017-04-13 17:54 (UTC)

[A quick look around Noctis's room is enough to remind Ignis vaguely of the way the other's apartment back in Crown City looked more often than not. He had been kidding about the rumor, but if he actually lives like this, it's only a matter of time before it gets out that he is, in fact, a royal slob.

Out of habit, he begins sifting through Noctis's belongings, straightening them up as he listens to what his friend is saying. At the mention of Lunafreya's death, he stops and turns to watch Noctis carefully.]

So, his comment about her being safe and sound was alluding to his deeds. How tasteful.

[As if he needed more reason to despise Izunia.]

Noctis, any injury that I sustained in helping others get to safety is only a part of my duty. Though I might have been trained to be your advisor, I am trained in battle as well. Partaking in fights can always lead to injury. It is something I have made my peace with long before now.

[But that doesn't mean that there isn't a tight knot of anger and discomfort in his stomach at knowing that all this will happen and he has no way of stopping it from doing so, no way to save the Oracle for Eos and Noctis.]

If I am still alive in the weeks to come back home, then I can only hope that I am still of service to you and the others.

[He's so used to Ignis cleaning up his messes that it doesn't even earn any sort of reaction. Ignis was his advisor as much as a part time nanny, really. It's just how their relationship went. If he looked around at any of his clothes he's bought from the surface, he'll see that there might already be a loose button or two.]

That slimy bastard... of course he'd do that. What else has he said?

[If he alluded to Ignis' injury... well there went any desire to outright avoid him.]

As for being alive - don't worry Specs, you're definitely still around. Just a little banged up.

['A little' was a play on words, unfortunately.]

[The roles they play are so ingrained into them both over the last fourteen years that moving beyond them is still a little difficult for Ignis. Noctis was his prince and is his king. Those positions sadly come first over being friends. Though the latter makes the Dormer's duties seem less like chores nowadays.

The garments in need of repair are put into a separate pile as they talk. ]

Mostly, he enjoys alluding to my hobby of cooking and how dear we all are to him. I think he believes he might trick me into giving him some sort of weakness of yours Or a Way to undermine our relationship. I never imagined a man that age holding onto such childish beliefs.

[With his opinion of Ardyn out of the way, he turns his attention to more pressing matters. ]

How little, Noctis?

[The corners of Noctis' mouth curl a bit at the quips about Ardyn. Really, the man truly did have some strange ways. He had done nothing but take things precious to him and goad him and try to push him to the brink. He definitely seemed to enjoy watching him suffer.

As for the rest of it... Noctis sits on his bed, watching Ignis sort through his clothes.]

Your eyes got hurt. It could be permanent? It could also heal. We don't know.

[Sighing, he stares down at his feet. He didn't want to look at Ignis, knowing the confusion and alarm.]

You said something like 'A small sacrifice in the greater battle' as if it was nothing.

[Gritting his teeth and balling his hands into fists, Noctis wished he could just will it all to change just by being angry.]

[Ignis's hands stop the automated sorting as he hears what it is that Noctis as said. And just processes.

He's always been so exacting about his vision, his appearance, his mind, his everything. The fact that he wears glasses at all is to make sure that he is always in top form for whatever might come his way. To lose that sense would make him a burden on the others, something he can't stand the thought of.

How would he help Noctis regain Lucis as a cripple? It's true that he wouldn't see it as something that his king should trouble himself over when there are more important things than his well-being.

But Noctis wouldn't see it as such and his tone of voice is as much a dead giveaway as anything else.]

It is nothing, Noct. Your safety and health is far more important in the grand scheme of things. Without you, we are lost to the encroaching darkness and the Starscourge. Especially if Lady Lunafreya is...

[Even he can't bring himself to say that she's dead. It feels like an impossibility. But then so much of what she's said to him since his arrival, so much of the undertone between those from home makes more sense. The Oracle dead, him injured... Two major blows to Noctis in one fell swoop and so soon after his father's passing and the fall of Lucis.

And then there is the added knowledge of their friends to consider.]

I'm sure that you blame yourself for this, but you really shouldn't. Gladio and I knew that serving the Chosen King could lead us to harm. And though you might not realize it, I've been preparing for something... Well, not quite like this, but something similar... since you entered high school. I'm not a fool.

[He bristles slightly as Ignis explains himself. On some level he knows that this is not his burden alone, that all three of his friends had prepared themselves for that, and yet he can still hear Gladio's words in his head She gave her life so you could do your duty, not sit around feeling sorry for yourself.]

Right. Because of course following me around means preparing for probably dying horribly, right? Like Luna. Even dad knew something would happen and he didn't say a damned thing.

[He was practically grinding his teeth, fists clenched as he stared down at his feet. Anything to avoid looking at Ignis and seeing any signs of understanding and care. He wanted him to be angry at him like Gladio had been. It would be easier if they all just hated him. He was the Chosen King in name alone. In reality he wasn't a King at all. The ring was too heavy to bear.]

[Ignis levels a hard stare at Noctis and puts a hand on his hips. If he is going to behave like a child in this instance, then it is his duty to set his king straight.]

You're being a pedantic child. You know better than that.

[He sighs and has a strong desire to drink something that isn't coffee.]

Being a member of the Crownsguard and the Kingsglaive means danger. It has since its inception. The Niflheim Empire has been pressing on Lucis since your grandfather was on the throne. However, you are the one that was selected by the Crystal to rid Eos of the Starscourge.

I'm sure it would've been easier to have kept you as just my liege and not my friend, but easy isn't the way that the best things get done.

So, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Or responsible that I will get injured. I'm quite certain that I had a choice in the matter and your attitude makes it seem that you doubt my judgment and is an insult.

[He pulls a face at the remark, not really sure what to say. He wants to argue but this isn't Gladio. They can't just snarl at one another and be done with it. Ignis is far different in disposition than all that. If anything, he doesn't really feel like arguing, despite being the one to start one.]

I don't. Doubt your judgement, I mean. It's mine that I doubt.

[Sighing, he rests his elbow on his knee and his chin in his palm. ]

[With a bit of a smirk, Ignis finishes sorting Noctis's clothes and leans against the wall by the door. Sulky, he can deal with. It's familiar and he can work his way around it with a few comments meant to make his friend think for himself. Beating him over the head and making him fight back in anger is definitely more Gladiolus's forte.]

Well, it's good to know that I've inspired that sort of loyalty in you, Noct, but I'm also sure that Gladio has said more than one obnoxious thing about the whole situation. I'm not dumb, after all, and I know both of your personalities.

If you must know, I believe that, like you, he's the kind of person to blame himself and take it out on others than face up to the fact that he's powerless. He's just much more vocal about it.

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