Ignis Scientia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chef_chocobro) wrote2022-09-13 07:30 am
chef_chocobro) wrote2022-09-13 07:30 am
Entry tags:
The Ridge Overlooking the City of Insomnia; Lucis, Eos. Tuesday, 09/14 766 [09/13 FT].
It had been an odd reunion, but a good one, despite the heaviness that surrounded it. Ignis' vision had been true: they had barely gathered together at the Hammerhead, making plans to travel to Galdin Quay themselves to perhaps meet Noctis there past Angelgard, when the sound of Talcott's truck rolling in stopped them, and their lost king, gone for this entire long, dark decade, finally returned to them.
A joyous reunion, but bittersweet, because they knew time was short. "We have some catching up to do," Noctis had said, but, really, it wasn't like there was much to report on, and they all knew their next steps...and what the end results were destined to be. But it had to be done; this was the time they'd all been waiting for, and after plans were made, they geared up and marched to the east, toward Insomnia, the Crown City, cloaked in darkness and daemons and Magitek forces all these years, to finally take it....and the rest of the world...back.
But first, they made camp. On that same ridge where they'd confirmed that the city had fallen to enemy forces so very long ago, they settled in that one last time. Ignis scrounged up a final camp meal out of whatever they had available to them, and everything was quiet, except for the crackling of the fire.
After all these years, and, suddenly, it felt like there was nothing left to say, but they embraced it, holding onto it for as long as they could.
Or at least until Noctis broke that silence, and none of them could begrudge him that.
"The four of us," he mused, his voice low and in a sort of awe to acknowledge it, "around a campfire. How long's it been?"
Ignis softly breathed out a laugh, trying hard not to think of how familiar this all felt. Familiar enough that he could see it...because he had, many years ago, one of the last things outside of the occasional dreams and nightmares, he would see at all.
"An eternity," he said.
The next silence that followed seemed to want to last that long, as well, but Noctis wouldn't allow it.
"So," he ventured. ".....yeah...."
Well, he had tried, it would seem, but whatever other words he might have feel short. How did one put to words emotions like this, anyway? Even Ignis, who had always prided himself in knowing what to say when necessary, could only let the fire continue to crackle on through the night. Gladio rarely had an issue with silence, either, and even Prompto knew that his light attempts at quips would just fall flat under the weight of what they were about to face in the coming days.
"I," Noctis tried again, though, after a few more moment, "um..."
The creak of one of their chairs, someone shifting to lean forward, and still nothing, until Gladio, finally, prompted, "Out with it."
"I just..." Noctis started after another long stretch of time, and then, stopping again, released a frustrated sigh, mingled with a grunt. An exhale of breath, which he released with a soft curse. "Dammit. The hell," his voice cracked a little on the way out, "is this so hard?"
But they gave him space. They gave him time. After so long, how could they do anything but allow him to have as much space and time as he needed? And, eventually, he got there, trying once more, but this time with a conviction to make it through.
"So I..." One last solidifying breath in. "I've made my peace. Still....knowing this is it? And seeing you here? Now?"
By the time Noctis could continue, it was clear from his voice that the pause that followed this time was from the fighting back of tears. "It's..." And a hitch in it to show even Ignis that he'd failed that attempt. "...more than I can take."
The next voice was Prompto's, barely a whispered hush. "Yeah," he said, voice shaking. "You're damn right it is."
And then, Gladio, rough and coarse and fighting back the same in his own way. "Huh!" he declared. "You spit it out."
And they all seemed to breath a collective sigh of relief, and Ignis realized that his was the only voice yet to join in, and they all seemed to be waiting for his say.
"It's good to hear," he offered, and then, knowing it was inadequate, but not knowing how to voice anything else, he faltered, and the silence settled in between them once more.
At least until the rustle of clothing, the sound of feet on the ground, as Noctis stood up from where he sat. Ignis winced, slightly, as his head turned toward that sound, wishing more than anything to be able to see the look on Noctis' face, as the rain started to fall on their little campsite.
"Well," Noctis almost laughed it out, because sometimes, that just made it easier, "what can I say?"
For a while, it didn't sound like he was going to say anything at all. Beside him, Ignis could hear the shaking breathes rolling off of Prompto, no doubt barely managing to hold back a few sobs.
But, eventually, Noctis simply said, between barely restrained tears of his own, "You guys?
"....are the best."
[[ taken from the penultimate, most awkwardly heartrending end-credits scene of Final Fantasy XV. NFI. NFB. OOC always welcome ]]
A joyous reunion, but bittersweet, because they knew time was short. "We have some catching up to do," Noctis had said, but, really, it wasn't like there was much to report on, and they all knew their next steps...and what the end results were destined to be. But it had to be done; this was the time they'd all been waiting for, and after plans were made, they geared up and marched to the east, toward Insomnia, the Crown City, cloaked in darkness and daemons and Magitek forces all these years, to finally take it....and the rest of the world...back.
But first, they made camp. On that same ridge where they'd confirmed that the city had fallen to enemy forces so very long ago, they settled in that one last time. Ignis scrounged up a final camp meal out of whatever they had available to them, and everything was quiet, except for the crackling of the fire.
After all these years, and, suddenly, it felt like there was nothing left to say, but they embraced it, holding onto it for as long as they could.
Or at least until Noctis broke that silence, and none of them could begrudge him that.
"The four of us," he mused, his voice low and in a sort of awe to acknowledge it, "around a campfire. How long's it been?"
Ignis softly breathed out a laugh, trying hard not to think of how familiar this all felt. Familiar enough that he could see it...because he had, many years ago, one of the last things outside of the occasional dreams and nightmares, he would see at all.
"An eternity," he said.
The next silence that followed seemed to want to last that long, as well, but Noctis wouldn't allow it.
"So," he ventured. ".....yeah...."
Well, he had tried, it would seem, but whatever other words he might have feel short. How did one put to words emotions like this, anyway? Even Ignis, who had always prided himself in knowing what to say when necessary, could only let the fire continue to crackle on through the night. Gladio rarely had an issue with silence, either, and even Prompto knew that his light attempts at quips would just fall flat under the weight of what they were about to face in the coming days.
"I," Noctis tried again, though, after a few more moment, "um..."
The creak of one of their chairs, someone shifting to lean forward, and still nothing, until Gladio, finally, prompted, "Out with it."
"I just..." Noctis started after another long stretch of time, and then, stopping again, released a frustrated sigh, mingled with a grunt. An exhale of breath, which he released with a soft curse. "Dammit. The hell," his voice cracked a little on the way out, "is this so hard?"
But they gave him space. They gave him time. After so long, how could they do anything but allow him to have as much space and time as he needed? And, eventually, he got there, trying once more, but this time with a conviction to make it through.
"So I..." One last solidifying breath in. "I've made my peace. Still....knowing this is it? And seeing you here? Now?"
By the time Noctis could continue, it was clear from his voice that the pause that followed this time was from the fighting back of tears. "It's..." And a hitch in it to show even Ignis that he'd failed that attempt. "...more than I can take."
The next voice was Prompto's, barely a whispered hush. "Yeah," he said, voice shaking. "You're damn right it is."
And then, Gladio, rough and coarse and fighting back the same in his own way. "Huh!" he declared. "You spit it out."
And they all seemed to breath a collective sigh of relief, and Ignis realized that his was the only voice yet to join in, and they all seemed to be waiting for his say.
"It's good to hear," he offered, and then, knowing it was inadequate, but not knowing how to voice anything else, he faltered, and the silence settled in between them once more.
At least until the rustle of clothing, the sound of feet on the ground, as Noctis stood up from where he sat. Ignis winced, slightly, as his head turned toward that sound, wishing more than anything to be able to see the look on Noctis' face, as the rain started to fall on their little campsite.
"Well," Noctis almost laughed it out, because sometimes, that just made it easier, "what can I say?"
For a while, it didn't sound like he was going to say anything at all. Beside him, Ignis could hear the shaking breathes rolling off of Prompto, no doubt barely managing to hold back a few sobs.
But, eventually, Noctis simply said, between barely restrained tears of his own, "You guys?
"....are the best."
[[ taken from the penultimate, most awkwardly heartrending end-credits scene of Final Fantasy XV. NFI. NFB. OOC always welcome ]]