[He interrupts quietly, raising a hand, and the influence of Yellow Ignis is written all over his movements here; he's strictly, almost unsettlingly controlled, making no unnecessary movements because every last one of them is absolutely conscious.]
You're not going to like my assessment of the situation we're in. But if we're going to get anywhere with this discussion, I need to know that you're willing to listen to it.
[ Noctis stops short, because he knows that look. He knows the tone of those words, entirely attuned to Ignis and aware of his tendencies enough to know that almost definitely means business, and that look means he's just about divorced himself from every sort of conceivable emotion.
Definitely Yellow Ignis. And if Ignis says Noctis isn't going to like what he's going to say, he believes him. Still -- he frowns, settling. ]
The only thing that Ardyn has any particular motive to act against here is you.
[He says it simply, and evenly, and it's very, very obvious that he's keeping himself locked in Advisor Voice through sheer force of will alone.]
It's very unlikely that he'll go after Prompto or myself, for example, because we don't matter to him except as a means of tormenting you. Consider what we know he did to Prompto, back home. Everything that was done was with the greater purpose of using him as irresistible bait for you. It wasn't about hurting Prompto. It was about knowing you would leap to his defense, immediately, if he were harmed.
[He closes his eyes.]
There's no Lucis here, no crystal or powers of the Lucii to meaningfully pursue. His only available fixation is on you. And the easiest way of manipulating you is through the people you love most, of which you have several available here. So listen to me, very carefully: if you let your need to protect us make you careless and hasty, you will be playing directly into his hands. Do you understand me?
[ No, Noctis doesn't like this one bit. He can see where Ignis is coming from -- the man is laying it all out for him carefully, already clearly considered from several different angles, but Noctis' expression is stubborn, possibly just a little mutinous because there's no way he's going to let himself be protected when other people could get into trouble.
But then what Ignis means, too, is what if Ardyn steps it up after knowing he's here? What if, because he'd made himself known, Ardyn hurts them? The thought of it is difficult to swallow, and Noctis is silent for a long moment, forcing himself to consider his words just as carefully. The old Noctis would possibly have snapped back, too fixated on Prompto's mood to see reason. But now... ]
[He sighs, ducking his head long enough to rake his hands back through his hair.]
We might have had a few different courses of action available to us when he still wasn't aware that you were here. Once he learns of your presence, keeping you away from him will become a moot point, because if he wants you to show yourself he'll simply use one of us to draw you out. What would be best, perhaps, is for you to never be alone with him without another townsperson present. Someone who isn't involved. That way he can't move without risking his own cover story.
So are you saying we keep up this civil front, and see what happens?
[ Because there's no way he's hiding. And there's no way Noctis is letting anyone else take the fall for him, which means -- ]
Have you figured it out, what he's playing at? [ Noctis asks after a moment, contemplative. ] What does he want me for? If Niflheim is defeated, then there's no point in taking me, right?
Prompto's recollection is the most we have to go on, but his motive seems to be something to do with hastening you to Gralea, where he's keeping the crystal. Neither one is here now, of course, which moots that plan if it's truly what he's up to. But something tells me there's more to his scheme than merely the war.
[He hums softly.]
He's been too duplicitous for no apparent reason. He's held back even at times when he's had a direct advantage. It's not simply about defeating Lucis, or perhaps even about bringing harm to you. He needs you for something; that's the source of his fixation on you.
Well, then. That's easy, right? I find out what he wants, and make sure he leaves you guys alone.
[ Noctis says almost immediately, because this is a good plan, right? If Ardyn has what he wants, then he wouldn't target others -- and Noctis can find out just what it is that he wants to do. Most importantly, he wouldn't hurt Ignis or Prompto, or anyone here. ]
[He says, patiently, as he reaches to take his hand.]
You need to stop thinking in terms of what's best for myself and Prompto. I told you that you wouldn't like hearing it. But it's imperative that your decisions start to take into consideration the whole picture, and not just us, or it's going to play directly into his hands.
I can't help that. [ Noctis tells him, allowing his hand to be taken but expressing his frustration, too. There's so much that has yet to be illuminated, not the least of which is this guy. ]
Iggy, I don't even know what that whole picture looks like! Why does he have some sort of vendetta? Why did he help us, and what's with him and the Crystal in Gralea?
I'm not asking you to change your feelings. Just to be mindful about letting your feelings dictate your decisions.
[Which itself is a difficult thing to ask. Noctis has the makings of a great king because he lets his feelings influence his actions; his empathy for his people and his world is one of his strongest virtues. It's just...complicated, all of this. Moreso than anyone would ever wish it to be.]
I haven't the answers to any of those things, either — only speculation. But we've got to be careful in how we go about finding out.
[ Noctis' feelings are dominant over emotions a lot of the time -- of course, he can be coaxed to shelve it, but those instances are incredibly few and far between, and he makes an impatient, annoyed little sound even as he lets go of him and steps into Ignis' circle, wrapping an arm around his waist.
It's instinct, seeking comfort and drawing from Ignis' strength. ]
[ Noctis likes this. He likes that Ignis trusts him enough to lean on him and let him carry some of that weight. He relaxes, supporting him and pressing soft kisses to his neck, unable to resist nosing at one of the fading marks hidden just underneath his collar. Made by him, heh.
But. Focus. ]
I was thinking that I should meet him. One on one. And asking him point blank about it.
And you think that will get you any sort of a reliable answer...how?
[He's responsible enough not to let himself get distracted by the way Noct is kissing him, but it's a nice diversion from the harsh reality of the subject matter. A softening, of sorts.]
If he can't give me a reliable answer, maybe he'll give me an indication of what he's really planning. A clue we can use.
[ He's building on that diversion, a hand sliding up Ignis' strong back, splaying over it in a gesture to comfort and reassure. He's tilting his head up now, laying soft kisses over the line of his jaw. ]
I mean -- he's thinking that he's got the upper hand now, right? You taught me how to be smart about things, maybe it's time I put that into practice.
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no subject
[He interrupts quietly, raising a hand, and the influence of Yellow Ignis is written all over his movements here; he's strictly, almost unsettlingly controlled, making no unnecessary movements because every last one of them is absolutely conscious.]
You're not going to like my assessment of the situation we're in. But if we're going to get anywhere with this discussion, I need to know that you're willing to listen to it.
no subject
Definitely Yellow Ignis. And if Ignis says Noctis isn't going to like what he's going to say, he believes him. Still -- he frowns, settling. ]
What is it? [ He's all ears. ]
no subject
[He says it simply, and evenly, and it's very, very obvious that he's keeping himself locked in Advisor Voice through sheer force of will alone.]
It's very unlikely that he'll go after Prompto or myself, for example, because we don't matter to him except as a means of tormenting you. Consider what we know he did to Prompto, back home. Everything that was done was with the greater purpose of using him as irresistible bait for you. It wasn't about hurting Prompto. It was about knowing you would leap to his defense, immediately, if he were harmed.
[He closes his eyes.]
There's no Lucis here, no crystal or powers of the Lucii to meaningfully pursue. His only available fixation is on you. And the easiest way of manipulating you is through the people you love most, of which you have several available here. So listen to me, very carefully: if you let your need to protect us make you careless and hasty, you will be playing directly into his hands. Do you understand me?
no subject
But then what Ignis means, too, is what if Ardyn steps it up after knowing he's here? What if, because he'd made himself known, Ardyn hurts them? The thought of it is difficult to swallow, and Noctis is silent for a long moment, forcing himself to consider his words just as carefully. The old Noctis would possibly have snapped back, too fixated on Prompto's mood to see reason. But now... ]
So, what do you propose?
no subject
[He sighs, ducking his head long enough to rake his hands back through his hair.]
We might have had a few different courses of action available to us when he still wasn't aware that you were here. Once he learns of your presence, keeping you away from him will become a moot point, because if he wants you to show yourself he'll simply use one of us to draw you out. What would be best, perhaps, is for you to never be alone with him without another townsperson present. Someone who isn't involved. That way he can't move without risking his own cover story.
no subject
[ Because there's no way he's hiding. And there's no way Noctis is letting anyone else take the fall for him, which means -- ]
Have you figured it out, what he's playing at? [ Noctis asks after a moment, contemplative. ] What does he want me for? If Niflheim is defeated, then there's no point in taking me, right?
no subject
[He hums softly.]
He's been too duplicitous for no apparent reason. He's held back even at times when he's had a direct advantage. It's not simply about defeating Lucis, or perhaps even about bringing harm to you. He needs you for something; that's the source of his fixation on you.
no subject
[ Noctis says almost immediately, because this is a good plan, right? If Ardyn has what he wants, then he wouldn't target others -- and Noctis can find out just what it is that he wants to do. Most importantly, he wouldn't hurt Ignis or Prompto, or anyone here. ]
no subject
[He says, patiently, as he reaches to take his hand.]
You need to stop thinking in terms of what's best for myself and Prompto. I told you that you wouldn't like hearing it. But it's imperative that your decisions start to take into consideration the whole picture, and not just us, or it's going to play directly into his hands.
no subject
Iggy, I don't even know what that whole picture looks like! Why does he have some sort of vendetta? Why did he help us, and what's with him and the Crystal in Gralea?
no subject
[Which itself is a difficult thing to ask. Noctis has the makings of a great king because he lets his feelings influence his actions; his empathy for his people and his world is one of his strongest virtues. It's just...complicated, all of this. Moreso than anyone would ever wish it to be.]
I haven't the answers to any of those things, either — only speculation. But we've got to be careful in how we go about finding out.
no subject
It's instinct, seeking comfort and drawing from Ignis' strength. ]
I have a plan that I know you won't like.
no subject
[He sighs a little, leaning a bit on Noctis and letting him support some of his weight — a quiet, implicit apology.]
Disliking courses of action has no great bearing on their validity. Especially not at a time like this.
no subject
But. Focus. ]
I was thinking that I should meet him. One on one. And asking him point blank about it.
no subject
[He's responsible enough not to let himself get distracted by the way Noct is kissing him, but it's a nice diversion from the harsh reality of the subject matter. A softening, of sorts.]
no subject
[ He's building on that diversion, a hand sliding up Ignis' strong back, splaying over it in a gesture to comfort and reassure. He's tilting his head up now, laying soft kisses over the line of his jaw. ]
I mean -- he's thinking that he's got the upper hand now, right? You taught me how to be smart about things, maybe it's time I put that into practice.