RIGHT-O, FRIENDS. I was really trying hard not to slow updates because I didn't want to disappoint you guys, but you've all been so wonderfully supportive about me taking some time for myself that I'm actually gonna do just that. :) For May, I'll be sticking to the every-other-week updating schedule. That should give me time to building up my buffer, work on other projects I'm into at the moment, and NOT kill myself doing so. Thank you all so much for your support! 3
"Oh, booo. Booooooo." Prompto cupped his hands around his mouth, increasing the volume of his displeasure.
Ignis smirked, leaning over the table and gathering his winnings.
"Booooooo."
"Good heavens, Argentum!" Loqi said finally, one eye subtly twitching. "Must you keep droning on?"
In hindsight, having those two seated next to each other for poker night wasn't the best idea ever. Loqi looked about an inch from snapping and lobbing the tray of dried apple slices on the table at Prompto's head.
Prompto huffed. "I think I won more hands when you were gone, Iggy."
Gladio arched an eyebrow. "Prompto, we didn't play while he was gone."
"Yeah, I know. Exactly."
Ignis chuckled.
"Keep laughing, Specs." Aranea kicked his shin under the table. "You lucked out on the princess not being here tonight, or we all know this would be going differently." Her gaze flicked over to Ravus. "Speaking of, shouldn't you be helping her with the prep considering this is your wedding?"
Loqi made a noise that was some kind of cross between a laugh and a snort at the same time.
"What?" Ravus demanded.
"Oh, just trying to imagine you planning decorations and table foods." Loqi started gathering the cards towards himself to shuffle them since it was his turn to deal.
Ravus kept his usual scowl perfectly in place. "What table food? There will be apples. And also apples. And likely more apples because they're they only steady food supply we have."
"Geez, well if it's gonna suck that much I'm not going," Gladio said with a teasing grin.
Ravus turned a glare on him that made it clear he wouldn't terribly mind that option. "You're lucky you're even invited."
Oh dear. What had Gladio done this time? Whatever it was, he looked very proud of himself. That was never a good sign when it came to Gladio.
"Don't know what your problem is. I was just helping out." Gladio grin was daemon-wide.
"Oh, Gladio, what have you done this time?" Ignis nabbed the first card dealt to him off of the table as Loqi flicked it over to him.
Gladio gave a lazy shrug. "Just gave him a few of those old romance books I had. Thought they might help out."
Multiple glares turned on the shield.
"Would those be the same books you nearly traumatized Evan with a couple years back?" Aranea asked flatly.
"Some of them," Gladio said mildly.
For the love of all that was good… All the vast and profound reading material in the world, and that had to be what survived? Really? Someone needed to start writing books. Someone without the motives that the press held.
…No, truly, that was a wonderful idea. He needed only to find the right man or woman for the job.
He was certain plenty of people had journals, but to get someone designated to the task…
He bloody missed Dino. Maybe he'd been a reporter, but…
"They will not be read," Ravus interrupted Ignis' thoughts, maintaining his glare as he picked up his cards.
"Maybe not by you."
Ravus scoffed. "Sikozu has better reading tastes than your offered drivel."
Loqi sighed. "Can we play the game?"
Gladio shrugged. "Your loss. All of you."
"I think we'll live, buddy," Prompto said, stretching over to pat Gladio's shoulder.
"Hey! No looking at my cards!" Gladio swatted at him.
"Wha… I wasn't!"
"You absolutely were."
"Was not!"
Ignis shifted his gaze to his own cards, mulling over his new idea.
The Argentum boys. Yes, they were very strong contenders for the role.
…Well, perhaps not Echo. Ignis hadn't seen a word out of him even on paper. Dino – the Argentum one – was creative and academically inclined, though. And then there was always Evan…
Yes, Ignis was going to be having a word with them.
Aranea nudged his leg with a questioning look. She'd gotten ever so good at telling his moods since his return.
He sent her a reassuring smile. Later. For now, it was time to play. And win.
They were right – he was having a much easier time with Lunafreya absent, and he was going to take advantage of it.
—
Dino, Ignis decided for certain as he leaned against the side of one of the building close to the fountain outside the Leville.
He honestly hadn't know the boys well enough to pinpoint where in the city they would be while Loqi was otherwise occupied, but Gladio had been very helpful in that regard, and Ignis had learned much already from his observations.
Dino was definitely the one Ignis needed to speak with about his idea. The boy was constantly multitasking with crafting and drawing. Honestly, constantly. In the short time Ignis had been watching, he'd seen him bounce between reading, drawing, knitting, and making some sort of beaded bracelet. Even if Dino didn't have any gift at all with the written word, he likely could have drawn everything in the form of a comic book or something.
If the child could settle down and concentrate on one project for even five solid minutes, that was.
Ignis frowned. He had to wonder about Echo, though. The shadow clone. The one least noticed.
He was odd, that was for certain. He lurked and hissed and didn't act human in many ways. People gave him questioning looks, and then they moved on. Loqi was the only one that seemed to try and teach the boy. The only one that noticed him.
But Ignis was noticing him now, and he didn't entirely like what he was seeing.
The boy was in pain. He was in much pain, and it was obvious.
While Dino and Evan chatted away, their brother merely lounged on the side of the fountain, almost curled into a ball as he lay his head on his folded arms. Ignis might have thought he was trying to take a nap, but the faint furrowed brow on his face gave away his discomfort.
Ignis pushed away from the building, determined to help Echo since Loqi wasn't currently present.
Evan glanced up as he neared, trailing off in the middle of what he'd been saying. "Ignis! Hello!"
Ah, the excitement in Evan's voice… Ignis never tired of hearing it.
"Hello, Evan," Ignis greeted in return with a smile. "And hello to you as well, Dino and Echo."
"'Ello!" Dino beamed at him, the radiance of his smile at odds with all of his dark clothing and eyeliner.
Echo only briefly looked Ignis' direction before he closed his eyes.
Ignis scowled. "Is there something ailing him?"
Evan glanced over his shoulder at Echo, almost as if he was trying to figure out what Ignis was talking about. "Oh. No, this is normal for him. He always gets headaches in Lestallum."
"Oh?" Ignis arched a brow. This was common enough that they just expected it?
…Oh, Ignis had a bad feeling about this.
"Just him?" Ignis asked casually.
Evan shook his head. "Well, no. I get them too. Just not as badly."
A very bad feeling.
"Dino hardly gets them at all."
Bloody hell. This was not inspiring confidence.
"I wouldn't worry about it," Evan said with an encouraging smile. "We figure it's just because we spend so much time out in the dark and it's bright here. Echo was out in the dark longer before he was found, so he's got it the worst."
Bright. Oh, Ignis suspected they were correct about the bright being the cause of their ailment, but not for the reasons they thought. It wasn't the light – it was the source of the light.
Lunafreya's Wall. The daemonic presence of varying degrees within all the boys.
Ignis hadn't felt much physical discomfort since his return, but his Scourge had already been… burned out as much as it was going to get by Lunafreya herself. Not to mention all the other extenuating circumstances around his condition, such as Lunafreya's blood and him nearly always shielding his eyes with his darkened spectacles.
This was… not good. Not an immediate problem, but definitely one for the future.
What would become of these boys were the sun to return? That was an issue that needed to be addressed.
But not this moment. Not here, with these bright young men trying to find joy in their honestly horrifying lives. They couldn't change anything. This wasn't something they needed to worry about yet.
Ignis cleared his throat, folding his hands behind his back. "Right. Anyway."
"Yes." Evan sat up straighter. "What did you need from us?"
"Merely a chat about some ideas with Dino." Ignis smiled, then narrowed his eyes just a bit. "And perhaps to discuss why it is you still aren't speaking with your esteemed delivery group leader."
Evan deflated like Noct used to when he'd been caught sneaking his vegetables into the trash.
Ignis chuckled. He was – right back into his usual role.
Thank the Astrals. He'd missed fussing over everyone.
"Come now," Ignis said, having to put a lot of effort into keeping his tone stern. "Look at me."
—