Chronic Depression Sucks

She/They | AuDHD | ISTJ | AroAce | Millennial | Fandoms: Depends on what my current hyperfixation is, but Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings are constant

[great-and-small]

Need y’all to know that in the 1970’s a letter to the editor was published in Daily Telegraph where the author offhandedly used the phrase “Tolkien-like gloom” to describe an area with barren trees and JRRT himself wrote back an incensed rebuttal at the use of his name in a context that suggested anything negative about trees.

[great-and-small]

“I feel that it is unfair to use my name as an adjective qualifying ‘gloom’, especially in a context dealing with trees. In all my works I take the part of trees as against all their enemies”

He was like how dare you sir I am the biggest tree fan out there

[nerianasims]

A tree tried to eat the hobbits. Tom Bombadil had to save them. There's Mirkwood, "The Forest of Great Fear." I'm on the side of the writer of the letter to the editor.

[great-and-small]

Because Tolkien is Tolkien, he actually directly defended the actions of all his forests and trees in this same letter I’m referencing

[papaya-inspiration]

@businesstiramisu !!!!

[middle-earth-mythopoeia]

This is the best thing in the entire world. Here is a transcript:

Beautiful place because trees are loved From Prof. J.R.R. TOLKIEN SIR—with reference to your leader of June 29, I feel that it is unfair to use my name as an adjective qualifying “gloom,” especially in a context dealing with trees. In all my works I take the part of trees as against all their enemies. Lothlorien is beautiful because there the trees were loved; elsewhere forests are represented as awakening to consciousness of themselves. The Old Forest was hostile to two-legged creatures because of the memory of many injuries. Fangorn Forest was old and beautiful, but at the time of the story tense with hostility because it was threatened by a machine-loving enemy. Mirkwood had fallen under the domination of a Power that hated all living things, but it was restored to beauty and became Greenwood the Great before the end of the story. It would be unfair to compare the Forestry Commission with Sauron because, as you observe, it is capable of repentance; but nothing it has done that is stupid compares with the destruction, torture and murder of trees perpetrated by private individuals and minor official bodies. This savage sound of the electric saw is never silent wherever trees are still found growing. J.R.R. TOLKIEN Merton College, Oxford

[invisiblemelonmoose]

@monstrousgourmandizingcats

[monstrousgourmandizingcats]

"Old Man Willow did nothing wrong" is not the Tolkien take I expected today, but I'm here for it.

[animentality]

[incorrectfeaquotes]

Submitted by latias-likes-pizza

Robin: Excuse me. Have you seen a young man riding a flock of crows? Elder: That way. Robin: Thank you. - Robin leaves - Elder: Bloody Shepherds.

[cesussy]

let me present to you guys..

‧˚꒰🔎꒱ some interesting facts i've picked about ashveil while playing the side quests in planarcadia! ₊˚⋆

..(as of 4.0; ill also be updating this list quite a lot)

a/n. ..because im quite literally obsessed with that man and i want to know every little single detail about him

warnings. – mentions of alcohol aaand i also mentioned a little leak in the last point, i did put a spoiler warning so read at your own risk; nothing too dramatic anyway, but better be safe than sorry!

a/n. ill be adding more once i finish all the quests as well! he seems to appear in a lot of them anyway, so i doubt this is everything ill gather

wc. 532 words

everything starts down bellow!<3

• he watches cartoons, his favorite being The Labyrinth Game, and his favorite character is Mercator, who is the protagonist! she is a very skilled detective which probably inspires him a lot🥹 cute!

• he also is the leader of Mercator's fan club😭 and he DID throw hands with one of the fans of the villain in the series at one point, if it wasn't for Mr. Narrator to stop them💀

• AND he also has his own fan club called Veil-Veil Fanclub! sign me up, ill be the leader!!!

• he has a bunch of pills and bottles on his desk (which.. makes me a bit.. sad, honestly)

• he might be into vintage stuff! since he always mentions he's an hardboiled detective, which, according to google, it means, basically, let's say.. an detective from the 20s, more or less; ill leave a wikipedia link if you really want to check it out

• and well, he is also quite dramatic, speaking like your stereotypical detective anyway, so im not surprised😭

• he doesn't take adultery cases anymore, since wives tend to start flirting with him.. 🫣 and they're so real for that, honestly

• he doesn't think of himself as that good looking, at least not for this generation (but the fact above tells me otherwise, he probably IS handsome)

• he doesn't pay rent and he's broke😍 you're doing amazing sweetie!

• he loves eating and orders food everyday, and he also puts the bill on furbobo weekly's account😭

• he is quite old! other's refer to him as "old man" several times in the quests, so he's probably not that young

• he stutters when taken aback!

• he's quite lazy😭 in the quest where you get to meet Mercator (the character i mentioned somewhere above), he would rather sit in his office and watch the series than come meet her (saying he can't let his emotions let the best of him, since he is such a big fan, he shouldn't let his personal emotions into serious matters, then Mr. Narrator lightly makes fun of him on how he sprouts wise quotes so he doesn't have to work😭)

• buuut at the same time, again with the fact above, he deducted a mistake in the Mercator's case, so to not directly let her known she in fact did a mistake, he preferred to let the trailblazer do it while helping from behind the scenes!

• and again in the Mercator quest (it seems i got so much info from this quest), he trained himself to be more like her (a true fan boy💞)

• seems to me he drinks quite often? he meets up with an npc at one point where he mentions he's his drinking buddy, so it makes me think he probably drinks quite regularly (and.. the bottles on his desk probably confirm my suspicion too)

• !!SMALL MENTION OF LEAKS!! ahem he talks quite casual to rappa.. and if you've seen the leaks.. i feel like it's a small confirmation he really might be the leader of a certain organization.. if you know what im talking about~ (im trying to stay close to what i know is canon, so im not going to think too much about what leakers are saying right now)

[arospec-polyniigo]

there's living weapon (living thing that has also become a weapon) and then there's living weapon (weapon that has also become a living thing) and I'm Very Particular on my flavours

[a-faint-hope]

tags via arospec-polyniigo

[kaibutsushidousha]

I hope this doesn’t seem like a flame-bait ask, but the Ka'an being albinos, and well, the even less necessary detail that Camazotz’s melanin was somehow contagious has left me reflecting on how this franchise has often portrayed darker skin as something of a consequence rather than something natural. Do you know of any details that might explain this implicit recurrence? From a Doylist, not Watsonian perspective. Either from anything Nasu may have been inspired by, or perhaps something he may have written early on. Because this is clearly an extremely unfortunate pattern, not uniform in the explanations either, which is why I’m curious enough to ask.

The examples I’m thinking of are specifically EMIYA (Shirou and Kiritsugu), Angra Mainyu, hell, even Dust of Osiris, and now Camazotz, at least within the new details (the skin darkening was nothing new, but COME ON, CONTAGIOUS MELANIN???).

I don't imagine he's inspired by anything specific for this trend. But your phrasing here, "portrayed darker skin as something of a consequence rather than something natural", is really clicked some switches in my head. It feels like a clue directly to the answer of the puzzle.

Japan is a 99% monoethnic country, geographically isolated by water, politically isolated for over 200 years, and freed from the isolationist regime for less long than the regime lasted. I live in a super multiethnic country, so when I see a darker person in Brazil, my Brazilian common sense tell me he's from a different race. But when a Japanese person sees a darker person without an obvious foreigner face, their common sense tells that's sun exposure.

Understanding darker skin as something of a consequence rather than something natural is their culture's default and there's text dating back to 10th century (Heian court lady diaries) to evidence it. I explain it more properly in this other post (about Danganronpa), but even the common use idiom 白い肌 ("white skin") is unrelated to race.

[unit-zero-two]

Sun exposure due to working outside in the fields or manual labor. Historically it's a class thing, and having lighter skin shows wealth and the luxury to stay inside. Modern day, it's even more of a choice. Sun exposure due to being in sports. Tanning as a gyaru for counter culture fashion. Etc. So, what that choice signifies and how to take it is going to depend on the author. Is it culturally acceptable or deviant? A reward for hard work or a punishment?

Not really a defense of possible racism, btw, but it is a possible other read.

[mako-neexu]

dantes' self hatred for himself makes me sob and choke so bad its seriously hurting me...

you should never forget that the Avenger class are cursed existences of flame hardwired to feel hatred, loathing and revenge against the world that has betrayed them profusely. (those born of hatred speaks of love, those born of love speaks of hatred, those who know of love the most, the who know of pain the most) every single one of them are ghost liners that should absolutely not exist. its really sad... you're a man who found light at the end of the tunnel, but the world remembers you for the revenge you enacted. the loathing and intense feelings you felt that struck a chord into each person but once more, because of circumstances beyond your control, you are summoned as a flame that would burn you and those you love.

like filling your lungs with smoke, unable to breathe because of the class container's visceral impulse, but by 'obeying' it also staves away the ache and pain of being 'fire' incarnate.

Edmond Dantes (the man saved by love) and Edmond Dantes (the Avenger forcibly summoned without all of his qualities from his life as a human to kill an innocent soul, to be used and discarded for one purpose only) both needed to be killed and they are 'killed'. and its all for the sake of one person and one person only...he's come to love guda more all throughout the years, intensified further because he is a kind person through and through.

but he truly must hate himself immensely because of his very existence itself as fire, his initial purpose, his countless (this world and many more) failures to protect ritsuka, because he was punishing himself.

he killed 'himself' not only for fujimaru ritsuka's sake, but to also punish himself because he willingly also chose the path of revenge as the spirit origin where he was the revenge demon in paris. and if one must go on this path, they should know they would not reach the end of it and expect a happy ending.

i feel so sad... he kills the "people who loves guda" but for what? for what?! for the star he loves so much, but also because "they" feel undeserving as well for guda's love.

he feels he doesnt deserve it, and he loves his one and only comfort in this world (one and only! one and only! for a man of flame!!! who witnessed over different walks of life with his eyes and yet he only as ONE AND ONLY!!! comfort now in this existence of his!!!!!!!!!!!!) and so cant help but sacrifice the very soul that makes him up for one star's sake,

and it takes "lingering affection/regret" to viciously pick this decision but unwavering "flame of determination" to have the courage to rip his heart out, present it on a silver platter before fujimaru ritsuka and kill it in front of amber/bright blue eyes. its so mercilessly cruel and kind.crying so bad right now

[lady-byleth]

I hate war. I really, really do. It's never like in the fantasy novels where it's a definitive good versus a true evil

But what I hate even more than war is unchallenged genocide. And at this point it seems like Israel will continue to slaughter innocent people unless the entire fucking state is blown off the map for good

How? How did we let it come to this? Not a day goes by that there isn't another massacre, another dead child without a head, another bloodline wiped out for the crime of existing

How can humans claim to be the only species with intelligence and then use it to hurt each other?

It's been almost a year, there are literal torture camps and a CCTV of gang rape which killed the victim...and the world leaders just don't care?

Why is it only those of us without the power to stop it who seem to want to while those with the power to stop it just don't bother?

I was just celebrating Imane's win when my timeline refreshed and it was a wall of dead bodies again. Because it never stops. Israel just doesn't stop.

I'm not going anywhere with this, I'm just so...angry! And sad.

Pope Paul VI once said, "Nothing makes one feel so strong as a call for help" but he was wrong. We hear cries for help every day, thousands of them, but we can't answer them. And that, more than anything, makes me feel powerless.

[tiktoksthataregood-ish]

[sicahyart]

Logos refs

Pneuma | Ontos

[professional-sephiroth-scrungler]

I figured out Sephiroth’s birthday. It’s confirmed he was born on December 11th. And he is 20 years old at the beginning of Crisis Core which takes place between 2000-2007. Math time

Birth year is 1980. December 11, 1980.

Which lines up with the JENOVA Project taking place between 1977-1982. (Dates taken from the timeline wiki)

Whats messy is when Angeal and Genesis were born. We are never given a specific age. Just an approximation of ~25 years old for both of them. And Genesis’ wiki says he was born sometime in ‘82 which isn’t possible if he is ~25 like Angeal. And we can assume Angeal and Genesis are the same age because they grew up together and were childhood friends. We can also assume that the ~25 age is from the beginning of Crisis Core because that is Angeal’s listed age and he doesn’t make it past the first time skip.

Now whats weird is that would make Genesis and Angeal 5 years older than Sephiroth. And timeline-wise, only slightly makes sense for Genesis since he was mapped with Gillian’s genes at birth for her Jenova cells that were injected into her.

But this still puts Genesis 2 years early for the JENOVA Project.

So, it would probably be more accurate to say that Genesis and Angeal are ~23. Not ~25. But thats why they’re approximations >:(

Please, Square, give us more details on these guys. I’m gonna go insane doing simple math.

[darklynoon-deactivated20170407]

Reblog if you’re 30 or older

This is an experiment to see if there really are as few of us as people think.You can also use this to freak out your followers who think you’re 25 or something. Yay!

[versegm]

Btw much as I love to make fun of twitter and reddit’s business decisions, I have 0% trust in tumblr’s management to not go a similar route so this is your gentle reminder that you should regularly go to your blog settings to export your blog. That’s a fancy way of saying you can download a backup of your blog so if everything goes down you’ll still have a backup of your posts & convos.

[versegm]

It’s gonna come as a surprise to most of you, but if you don’t want to do that for whatever reason you’re allowed to not reblog this post. I’m not holding a gun to your head here I’m just trying to spread the word for people who do want a backup of their stuff.

[magz]

Also, made this guide for backup Tumblr blogs (ft. export blog method, and python 3 script method):

How To Backup Your Tumblr Blog

Tumblr Backup (Python 3 Script) Index Summary What this does: Things used in this method: How to set up: Setting up Python If you messed it

[tainbocuailnge]

Do you have any tips for writing Oberon? I'm struggling getting a handle on him for my fic.

i don't know about writing him because I don't write fic but I can tell you some things I personally find important about his characterisation

oberon may be suicidal but he's not defeatist. in fact he's extremely stubborn and will get back up as many times as it takes until his goal is realized. he wants to die but he absolutely refuses to die on anything but his own terms. oberon doesn't break, not because he was broken from the start or anything but because he's simply too stubborn to have a breaking point. he doesn't stay down, he doesn't get demoralised, he relentlessly keeps working towards his goals. by all means he should be broken from the start what with being a corpse puppeteered by bugs and his very existence being meant to bring an end to all things, he just refuses. he's terrible at staying down because he embodies the will of a land that wants to die but kept on trucking for 14.000 years.

oberon always lies, but his lies aren't just blatant untruths. they're lies because you can't derive meaning from them. he IS capable of saying things that are true, just not in a way where he can make it unambiguously clear that it was true so you're always left wondering just how much of it he meant. you can't believe his words so you have to trust in his actions, because that is where his actual intentions show. vortigern tells guda he killed everyone on the shadow border starting with mash, but he hands them an apple while doing so because he can tell they're tired and haven't eaten in a while. i wouldn't say he's a compulsive liar per se, it's not that he personally struggles to be honest so much as that the world itself conspires to make it impossible for his words to have meaning and he needs to dance around that. oberon chooses his words very carefully, because he is cursed so that anything he says loses meaning.

vortigern is not smooth. sorry to all the simps out there but he will never kabedon you and if he did guda wouldn't blush about it they'd just dunk on him because their whole relationship is rooted in them being able to see through his bullshit. he's not a cool evil king. he's not a hammy villain. he's not a domineering figure. vortigern is a guy in pain who is acting tough by wearing a cloak that's too big for him. his idea of being sexy and evil is unbuttoning the collar of his frilly blouse like he's genuinely just a dude the same way castoria is genuinely just a country girl.

one common misconception i've seen go around is that the welsch fairies brainwashed (?) vortigern into believing he's oberon. this is false, from the start he was both vortigern and oberon and until the end he is both oberon and vortigern. it's bad to think of it as two separate people in a body or something like that too, because all of it is traits that are his own, he just picks and chooses which to emphasize. everyone acts different in different situations, he's just more extreme about it. when he's oberon he's lying about not being vortigern. when he's vortigern he's lying about not being oberon. the guy who wants to destroy the world and the guy who wants to save the world are the same, because the reason he wants to destroy the world is that it was built on the suffering of those who weren't deemed important enough to be saved so if there's a chance to save them after all he's compelled to try it. his true personality lies between those two extremes, and the closest we get to seeing it is the rude oberon that shows up to chaldea after all is said and done. because he's way too stubborn to stay down, so in the end he will always get back up and try to be the fairy king that the bug fairies need him to be again.

[kaibutsushidousha]

I'd say the best line to understand how Oberon's liar gimmick works is this one.

(Using a Rayshift screenshot because NA screwed up this one royally, oops)

Why does Oberon Vortigern lie? Because he's Oberon. Vortigern is pure foulness. He's someone's inability to forgive and all the frustration that comes packed with it. Nothing but filth, but all this filth is wearing Heroic Spirit Oberon's skin.

He's a mass of hatred thrown into the shape of the perfect fairytale prince and his dialogue needs to abide by this shape no matter how much it fails to reflect his true heart. There are many ways to lie, and Oberon knows how to exploit all of them to fit his needs to his limitations, but as the quote explains, Oberon's default lies are not inversions of his feelings, they're sugarcoating. Oberon is a filter that makes Vortigern say frick when he wants to say fuck.

The impact of Oberon's 3rd Ascension is in how things have gotten so bad that no levels of sugarcoating can stop Oberon from badmouthing everything and showing the filth underneath the romanticized prince's skin.

[versegm]

The trick I found to writing Oberon is that it's not so much "everything he says is a lie" as it is "he is not allowed to say what he fucking means." If you ask him if he wants to have sane safe consensual sex with you he can't just say yes or no the best you'll get is a "ah my dear friend, have you been craving these mcnuggies?" (if Oberon) or "Jfc you truly are a degenerate to want to fuck the worm of the abyss" (if Vortigern.) If you want to know whether you should take that as an invitation or not you need to look at context clues ie whether he's backing away from you or taking off his pants. Yes I tried to find another exemple at first but this is the most common situation I've ran into when writing him so take it or leave it.

[nyodrite]

So i saw a post about a deaged Ardyn in @secret-engima ‘s Little Nox verse and now all I can think of is what if Ardyn had gotten deaged along with Nox when they wound up Suddenly Alive Again? Maybe they’re both teens, or maybe there’s a teenage disaster uncle trying to take care of bb!Nox? Honestly I’m just amused at the thought of all the flailing over teen Ardyn because - the chancellor had a secret son?? was cloned?? On top of THE CHANCELLOR OF NIFLEHEIM IS MISSING

[hamelin-born]

@secret-engima @nyodrite

Oh oh, what if Ardyn is *just* old enough - early teens, perhaps? - that they *still* think he’s Mors’ illegitimate son, maybe born literally right after the old king died? …Regis would freak out at having a new, vastly younger brother to go with his newfound son. 

[nyodrite]

@secret-engima @hamelin-born

You know, teen Ardyn most likely has to deal with Sick Days too. And if it were to be assumed that Ardyn was born right after Mors dies then would the assumption be that the scars would be from Niflehiem finding and capturing - likely also experimenting - on smol Ardyn?

Would the brand be explained away as some experiment with LC Magic?

[hamelin-born]

@secret-engima @nyodrite

snaps fingers and points. YES. 

…or the brand can be explained as Mors deliberately kicking his illegitimate son out of Lucis, perhaps, branding him in the process - and into the Empire’s hands. 

[nyodrite]

@secret-engima @hamelin-born

*squints* ok ok ok, i don’t know if it’s just me but that last bit seems to imply that Mors handed over his illegitimate son to the enemy

(And Regis doesn’t think it’s true, exactly, since he doubts his father would freely hand over a LC over to the empire to figure out their magic or possibly breed more LC to have at their disposal but… he can’t help but think what if in the back of his mind)

[hamelin-born]

@secret-engima @nyodrite

No no, I mean - Reggie et al might think that Mors kicked his ‘illegitimate’ son out of Insomnia, perhaps out of Lucis, to where he would be - easy prey, where the Empire could easily capture him. And they can *definitely* see Mors taking quick, ruthless action to ensure that there would be absolutely no dispute over the succession whatsoever, namely in the form of evicting his bastard kid from the Crown City - and not especially caring what happened to him afterwards. 

[secret-engima]

@hamelin-born @nyodrite

*hurtles in screaming for delight* OH MY WORD I LOVE THIS SO MUCH WHY DIDN’T I THINK ABOUT THIS BEFORE.

That’s it Nox verse has another spin-off. I need a name for it that isn’t Little Nox- hmmmmmmmmmmm

Sweet Sixteen verse.

Because it’s too early for me to be clever and I have a warped sense of humor.

Hang on I need to go check the FFXV timeline and work out what’s happening before I launch into a super ramble.

…OKAY. Mors died in M.E. 729 so if we assume it was LATE that year and we make it so Ardyn’s age drops his “birth year” at early M.E. 728, then that means Mors COULD have found his ‘illegitimate son’ and promptly branded and banished a 1 ½ - 2 year old and presumably his mother too. >:D Regis will be a Horror™.

That means when Ardyn and Nox get booted back into the timeline, Ardyn is physically 14, Nox is physically 3, and Ardyn is Freaking. Out. So Hard. Especially since instead of being dropped in Lucis, they get dropped in Niflheim, so the Nifs DO find them and have them for all of two minutes until Ardyn goes on a frantic teenage murder rampage right through their labs and also their head scientist. Glauca, who was nearby in Niflheim on a Nif assignment, gets called in and is promptly thrown around by one (1) frantic newly teenaged Accursed and loyalty bonded using magic. Titus looks into the wild eyes of this Lucis Caelum with a toddler on his hip as the teen hisses, “Help us!” and all his priorities shift.

Glauca picks them up and escapes into the wilderness.

Later in a camp far from prying eyes, Titus (who doesn’t know this is Ardyn, since Ardyn is, you know, a teen now and also lost his Hat and a lot of his clothing layers since they just didn’t fit his scrawny body), looks at this shaky, half-starved teenager who is covered in scars and a tiny toddler who is ALSO covered in scars, both of whom he only heard of because they were carving their way out of a lab and whatever bribery and brainwashing the Nifs did to make him a willing traitor goes up in flames. He was an adult when he was taken and bonded with the Glauca suit. He was a SOLDIER of the enemy at the time.

These?

These are children. Frightened, hungry, wild eyed children, the oldest of whom has fatal scars going back YEARS.

And Titus is not yet so far gone as to excuse that away.

Keep reading

[realityhoudini]

@secret-engima this looks amazing omg!

How do the Kingsglaive react? Does Regis let Noctis meet Acastus and Nox? Does Acastus relax enough to let that meeting happen? Cuz right now he seems like he’s in full defense mode, Bitchy Sass mode on high.

[secret-engima]

@realityhoudini

Thanks! I had a lot of fun with this. :)

The Kingsglaive are a Stress™. Because this is Captain’s teenage SON. Yes they know he’s actually a cousin but Titus is RAISING Acastus, has been raising him for 2 years, this boi is their Captain’s son.

Except apparently he’s also the KING’S????

They are so stressed out over who’s side they’ll take if this gets into some kind of fight, Captain, the man who raised and loves the boys? Or the king they SWORE AN OATH TO? Thankfully it never comes down to that choice but for a little while there the Glaives are a panic over the possibility.

Regis does introduce Noctis to the bois, once he’s recovered from his shock and horror and also MORE HORROR because he only knows they exist because Acastus broke into the Citadel and used magic to heal Noctis (and Regis quickly learns hOW because Acastus is shirtless when they first talk and Titus knows the secret and stuff gets spilled during the ensuing tense conversation). Honestly the one who’s most tense about it is Acastus, because he Does Not Trust Regis™. At All. He doesn’t want to go to the Citadel again because what if Regis insists they can’t leave? This house is HOME now and Titus is Safety. Acastus isn’t leaving that willingly. But Nox … Nox adores his dad, and Nox deserves to know more family, so eventually Acastus grudgingly agrees to meet and visit and stuff (also Regis agrees to let them keep living with Titus. It is not a WILLING agreement, and it means Titus now has a 24hr guard rotation lurking in his neighborhood, but he agrees because Acastus’s fear and simmering ready-to-hate-you-vibes are off the charts and he doesn’t want to cause unnecessary stress to his half-brother and new son. Also also this means Regis visits the house a lot and by extension starts to get a really good look at just how bad the slums are: cue Dadly Rage through politics to make his son’s and half-brother’s neighborhoods a better/safer place).

Noctis and Nox bond instantly, and Regis is … honestly wary of how Acastus will react despite the boy miraculously healing Noctis, but the moment Noctis enters the picture, Regis can see the teen’s priorities shift and his feral edges soften a bit.

But yea, Acastus is one Extremely Feral Tense Snarky Boi toward anyone that isn’t the Kingsglaive, Titus, Nox, or Noctis for a LONG time.

[ean-sovukau]

@secret-engima @hamelin-born @nyodrite

But what do they do about Ardyn? The chancellor is missing and there’s this kid who is obviously related to him. Do they use Nox Main background for Acastus and tell others that Ardyn got killed while they were escaping?

Oh the angst, Regis and Titus learning that Acastus’ beloved ‘uncle’, who took in his sibling and his sibling’s child, who tried his best to raised them and had loved his nephews, was killed trying to flee with his family. No wonder Acastus act like this.

[secret-engima]

@ean-sovukau @hamelin-born @nyodrite

*slaps table* YES. Because just- look. LOOK. Acastus is a Very Good Liar. More than that, he has something to PROTECT. Something he cannot afford to let be shattered by truth. Perhaps if he had been caught earlier, he would have made a different lie, played dumb. But he has had two years to raise Nox and be RAISED by Titus, who is awkward and gruff and not at all sure what he’s doing, but is attentive and caring and STEADY and of all the things Acastus had needed for the last two thousand years an anchor and a shoulder to cry on are in the top five. He cannot afford to say a lie that might crack, that might have holes too big to answer.

So when they ask, Acastus tells them this. That he had a relative who worked for Niflheim, that he had a relative who cared about few things, but among those few things were certain people he held close to his heart. That there was a man who cared not for the world at large and wouldn’t have minded if it burned, but who did still love family, even in his blackest moments. Who would have done anything for those he cherished.

That there was a man who found them in the darkness and brought them into the light despite all things.

Even when it cost him his life.

And maybe Acastus is speaking of a lie, or of his old self, or maybe there’s a reason he wraps his arms tight around Nox as he speaks of love and sacrifice. In the end it doesn’t matter. In the end he plays along with the assumptions made by Regis, that Acastus’s uncle was the Chancellor of an Empire, that the brother of the woman Mors’ bedded found a nephew and a baby clone in the labs of his nation and could not bear to let this cruelty stand. That the Chancellor of Niflheim, for all his poison, still loved enough to die so that two children could escape their torment.

Acastus watches with a blank expression as Regis arranges a private, quiet funeral for the man (the enemy) he never knew, but feels indebted to.

Acastus watches as Ardyn is finally, finally laid to rest in a private corner of the royal cemetery.

And if anyone notices him crying, silent and blank-faced as the empty coffin is interned with honors, it is not their place to know that he cries not from grief, but from a twisted, aching sort of relief.

Ardyn Izunia, who was once Lucis Caelum, is dead. He has been laid to proper rest.

Maybe now Acastus Drautos can move on without quite so many ghosts clawing at his shadow.

[nyodrite]

@ean-sovukau @secret-engima @hamelin-born

ow my heart, that’s just such a good moment? 

on a slightly different track though, how does Nox and Acastus’ schooling situation turn out? because i figure it makes sense that they’d be homeschooled - potentially even taught by Galahdian elders because they’re just unanimously adopted - but also, part of me is morbidly interested with the idea of Acastus going to high school

or you know just getting a normal job

[secret-engima]

@nyodrite @ean-sovukau @hamelin-born

>:)

Ohh interesting question! they were homeschooled those two years they were a secret, both by Titus when he had time and (mostly) by the many, many enthusiastic Galahdian elders who heard from their grandkid Glaives about their Captain taking in two … Unique children.

Tbh I feel like MOST Galahdians homeschool their kids? Both to preserve their culture and because they get such cold shoulders from the ADULTS who are supposed to be more mature than that, why subject their children to the inevitable mass bullying that would happen if they put their kids in school? Especially if the adults cannot be trusted to break it up fairly rather than just ignore it or blame the Galahdian kids for defending themselves? Anyway, so technically Acastus is going to a school those two years, it’s just purely Galahdian run and Galahdian bent. So Acastus is very much a Galahdian in education now. XD He has “classmates” he gets along with very well and some not so well, and honestly now I kinda want to drabble a day in the life of Acastus getting dragged into acting like a teenager by reckless Galahdian teenagers.

He has a Retinue Pack of them.

(So does Nox and it is adorable, even though Axis quietly, uneasily wonders if there is more reason than just personality for why his triplets have latched onto Nox so thoroughly and unknowingly taken up three of the usual four spots in a Retinue, namely the Shield, Hand, and Sword.)

After Regis enters the picture I can see it going one of two ways for Acastus: either Acastus says heck no to the idea of both royal tutors or public schooling when Regis brings it up and Regis backs down. Or Acastus says heck no to the royal tutors and Regis tries to coax him into public school because he thinks it would be better for Acastus to “get to know Insomnia” and for whatever reason he managed to talk Acastus into it (likely purely for the trolling potential and morbid curiosity).

His Retinue Pack, not about to let their sibling-in-crime go face the wilds of hormonal, snobby Insomnians on his own, promptly follow him into the public school system.

Naturally, utter chaos ensues. Because Acastus will, at that point, be known as a member of the royal family (much to his annoyance) so people will want to kiss up to him. But those same kiss-ups will ALSO likely be snobs toward “refugee trash” and that’s where we run face first into the cognitive dissonance of Acastus being BOTH OF THESE AT THE SAME TIME. Also Acastus gleefully tearing people apart verbally, especially any teachers that try to either ignore or excuse away any bullying that comes near his Pack.

Regis regrets talking Acastus into the public school idea by the end of the month, but by that time Acastus is having too much fun flipping social tables and talking rings around his increasingly furious history teacher to stop. >:)

Also Acastus and crew get basically straight A’s. Just to mess with people.

Also on the last idea: ngl the thought of Acastus taking on a normal job made me CACKLE, for much the same reasons the school idea did, but also … honestly a job would be good for him? He would absolutely get into this about a year before being found by Regis. Titus is nervous as all get out about it, but the Galahdian parents who are now his support system think it’s a good idea, since Acastus shows … very little interest in life outside the house. Disturbingly little. It’s like the boy doesn’t know what to do with the fact that he HAS a life and can exist outside of Nox’s little sphere of influence (his rampant issues with the concept of time don’t help). So Titus brings the idea up and Acastus hems and haws and looks baffled over the entire concept and then goes “why not” after Nox gets excited over the idea. He starts off with random odd jobs in the nearby area like gardening for other people, pet-sitting, and also babysitting (kids ADORE him and he is a very popular babysitter despite his rather fluid concept of curfews and bedtimes without his phone alarms), but eventually he applies for a Proper Job on a whim and is rather flummoxed when he gets it.

Nobody understands why he spends a long time laughing himself almost to tears after coming home from his first shift, but that’s fine, he’s having fun.

And it’s not like anyone else will understand the sheer, absurd hilarity of the once Immortal Accursed working as a Barista for a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop in one of the older city districts.

The owners love him, mostly because he can somehow sweet talk any customer who comes in to buy more than they planned to and yet enjoy it enough to not be mad by the unexpected extra purchases.

Acastus spends probably too much of his own wages on buying things for Nox rather than himself, but hey.

[secret-engima]

i sent you an ask a while ago about cor vs nyx time traveling chaos and you mentioned them BOTH going back which immediately made me think of the possibility of them going back as like, twin LCs

No.

NO.

DON’T MAKE ME MAKE A NEW AU.

*screams off into the ether*

*comes back*

ALRIGHT FINE BUCKLE UP LADIES AND GENTS AND TUMBLR DENIZENS I HAVE A NEW TWIN AU AND I’M RAMBLING.

-Nyx and Cor don’t MEAN to time-travel. Either of them. They just kinda …. do?

-They both wake up in the same clearing, with the words of the Astral that dumped them here (Ramuh) in their ears, sit up and realize they aren’t alone.

-Things are … kinda stiff between them at first. They don’t know what’s going on, or where they are. All they remember is their respective lives before getting snatched by Ramuh.

-They at least know who the other is, and compare notes on what happened as they wander the definitely-not-ravaged-by-the-Long-Night wilds. Nyx is more than a little surprised to realize that his mirror double is Cor the Immortal, but that’s not … the WEIRDEST thing going on right now. So.

-No. The weirdest thing going on right now is that they are both like- SIX YEARS OLD. And that they now look identical. Both of them are blue-eyed (Cor’s shade of blue, which irritates Nyx because why couldn’t he keep his own eye color at least?), with wispy black hair that is 100% Nyx’s, and cheekbones that belong to neither of them.

-Also magic.

-Cor is already quietly hitting his head against a tree before Nyx figures out what the clues all add up to.

-Nyx is not a happy camper when he realizes what has happened (read: when Cor explains it in between blistering language a Furia would blush at).

-Also Nyx still has the scars from his Death-By-Ring. Rippling, branching scars  running up his arm and along his cheek and temple on that side of his face. They’re white and “old” but still very, very noticeable.

-Cor and Nyx exchange stories as they wander the wilds, murdering wildlife that tries to eat them and hiding from the daemons at night (they both don’t sleep well, because they’re one, children, two, Nyx has night terrors of dying, and three, Cor is terrified that if he goes to sleep he’ll wake up to find the sun gone.

-They finally reach civilization after about a month of bonding in the wilds over Shared Trauma and plans to change fate (Nyx is NOT HAPPY about the Prophecy KTHANKS HE DIDN’T DIE JUST FOR BAHAMUT TO KILL THE YOUNG KING AND PRINCESS) depending on where they are in the past.

-The civilization they find is Hammerhead, and the newspaper they snitch and huddle over tells them the year is 728. One year before Mors dies.

-Nyx manages to hiss the “What the-” in a non-child friendly phrase right as Cid finds them and startles them by asking where their parents are. Since a Startled Nyx is a Warptastic Nyx, there goes the bloodline secret in 0.02 seconds.

-Cor could Strangle™ Nyx if he wasn’t already 120% done with the time-travel thing and already planning to be a tiny prophecy smashing gremlin. Getting a speed ticket to Citadel via Cid, who will take them to Regis rather than Mors, is the safest option he could hope for honestly.

-So yea Cid collars the scruffy, underweight, dressed-in-rags-and-animal-skins twins and calls Regis to yell at him and that’s how Regis learns he is a dad of two Smol Feral 6 year olds at age 22.

-Regis drives out to Hammerhead with Clarus and COR so that his father doesn’t learn about this JUST yet and Time!Cor has a long moment of dysphoria staring at his Angry Teenage Self. While the Cor’s hold a staring contest, Nyx is a mess because the king he saw die is THERE and thoroughly convinced he’s Nyx’s DAD and Nyx CANNOT DEAL kthanks. Regis asks for their names and Nyx blurts out the first ones he can think of that aren’t Obviously Owned Already (Romulus and Remus and no Cor is NEVER going to forgive Nyx for that) and Regis is just- Regis is an Overwhelmed Die inside because KIDS. HE HAS KIDS. TWO TINY FERAL SIX YEAR OLDS WEARING ANIMAL FUR. ONE OF THEM IS TRYING TO BITE COR (admittedly Cor started it, COR STOP THAT). A few questions reveals they’ve been on their own in the wilds for “a while” using their magic and Regis is even MORE of a die.

-The question of where their mother is, where their other relatives are, is answered by Romulus (Cor) shutting down entirely and Remus (Nyx) hunching and shivering and whispering one word.

-That word is “Nifs”.

-Regis has to turn around and go pace in the parking lot with heat waves shimmering off his shoulders before he stops seeing red.

-Regis takes them home, Cid goes with because he and Regis may be on rocky terms but Cid does love Regis, and he loves kids, and he doesn’t trust Mors to “take this well” as far as he can throw the adamantoise.

-Cid is right.

-Mors does not take it well At All.

-Mors says some … things that horrify Regis, because he would NEVER have thought his father capable of sinking so low. Makes demands about the children Regis has “created out of wedlock”. One of those demands is that they cannot be heirs and they must never be revealed to the court, they must be taken away and hidden somewhere to preserve Regis’s image and the “public trust”. Regis has no intentions to do this, obviously but Romulus, who has been spacing into the distance trying to astral project as a means of not crying his eyes out at the sight of a living Regis and Clarus, senses Mors’ hands reaching for Remus (his-his-his his only friend his only companion who understands his only safety for the last month his BROTHER HIS TWIN) and

-Cold hands cold magic demands-demands-demands. A leash in another’s hands, the burning apathy of a blacksmith beating a living weapon into shape, the taste of his own blood in his mouth as he trains-trains-trains and is found wanting.

-Cold hands cold magic reaching reaching touching touching burning burning engraving knowledge into his being his core his SOUL

-The knowledge forged in his spine-heart-soul-mind written in his blood on the ground and his scars in the mirror.

-Better to die than be a failure.

-He

-S N A P S.

-By the time he comes back to himself, it’s to Remus holding him tight around the waist making shushing noises while Romulus presses them both into a corner, his back to Remus and the taste of blood (not his blood he knows what his blood tastes like this isn’t it who’s blood is this-) in his mouth as he clutches at a sword too big for his tiny body, a silver armiger bristling like spines. He has no memory of how he went from glaring at the wall while Regis and Mors argued to huddling here in the corner with his magic screaming around him in blades and spitting flakes of ice.

-There is no sign of Mors in the room.

-Regis is there. Regis and Clarus on the far side of the room, trying to talk to him, and something tells him they’ve been talking for a while.

-It’s Cor, his younger self, his previous self, that he locks eyes with from across the room, and it’s Cor who looks murderous in his understanding as he briskly orders Regis and Clarus and Cid out of the room.

-The silence when they leave is heavy.

-Cor settles down on the farthest side of the room, his sword propped on his shoulder and his shoulders intentionally relaxed. He’s treating Romulus like a frightened animal, an abused animal, and it’s working more than he wants it too.

-The adult part of Romulus curses his lack of control, how being in a younger body effects his actions so much more than he wants it to.

-The rest of him doesn’t care.

-It takes an hour for Romulus to finally drop the Armiger, but he doesn’t move from the corner, or acknowledge Remus trying to nudge his way free of the corner.

-It takes another 30 minutes for Cor to deem Romulus “present” enough to ask, “Is he still alive?” The man who hurt you. The man who Mors reminded you of.

-Romulus just laughs until his little body starts to cry. It’s answer enough.

-Cor becomes their only adult touchstone for a while. They stay in the massive royal suite (Regis’s suite, Romulus knows from years of experience and Remus from the occasional guard duty). Regis doesn’t come in, but Romulus can sense him at the door a few times, and Cor’s phone is constantly dinging with messages that are probably from Regis or Clarus.

-When Cor finally lets another adult into the suite again (bristling protectively the entire time), Romulus and Remus find out that their timeline? Yeah. It already got thrown out the window.

-Regis comes in.

-He’s wearing the Ring.

-Romulus stares, Remus doesn’t know better to realize what is wrong with that picture. There is something hard in the set of Regis’s shoulders, something weary and protective and … jaded. Jaded like Regis hadn’t been until years after Mors death when Regis finally dug out the deepest, nastiest secrets of his father’s reign.

-”Is he dead?” Romulus asks numbly.

-Regis follows his gaze to the Ring, and his expression shifts to surprise, then a black sort of anger, then a careful, tired gentleness, “No. But his health was failing. So I … convinced him … to step down. He won’t be coming near you again. Not unless you ask.” Regis’s voice cracks and there is a love and a pain in his magic as it tentatively wraps around the twins that makes Romulus realize Just What Regis thinks is the source of Romulus’s violent panic attack, “No one will come near you or touch you unless you ask first.”

-And something in Romulus keens, just a little, at the reassurance of those words. His issues aren’t what Regis thinks they are but … it’s a relief. Even though his time-table is now even shorter with Regis having put on the Ring and become king a year early …. it’s a relief. To know that Mors won’t come near him or Remus again.

-Romulus doesn’t bother to stop his tears (this is his king, his sword-brother, his best friend, his FATHER of both lifetimes even if this is the first one in blood) as he tentatively steps forward all the way to where Regis is kneeling.

-He can feel Regis shake with suppressed tears as he carefully wraps his arms around Regis’s waist and whispers thank you.

-He’s surprised when Remus joins him, because the glaive only knew Regis as king, but there is a loyalty, a grateful devotion in the man turned boy turned brother that is so deep and vibrant it rings in the air in his magic. A loyalty that could so easily turn into love just like the unconditional, all-powerful love settling on their shoulders like a blanket as Regis oh so tentatively rests a hand on their heads.

-Somewhere in the future that never will be again, the gears of prophecy groan and crack.

[rayearthdudette]

@secret-engima HOW. DARE. HOW-

OK SO- This crashed through my window, set my kitchen table on FIRE, and sent my muses into a pANiC!

Imma try to stay coherent but this’ll probs get rambly and I have so. many. questions.

(Also another AU enabled WOOTWOOT!)

First of all; poor Regis having to suddenly face the knowledge that someone he loves is far, far worse than he ever expected of them. And to face the realization that his bbies, his sons, haven’t… had a good life so far. Imagine, just imagine his thoughts over the next months as he cares for his sons.

-Romulus spacing out and trying not to cry around Regis and Clarus because- they’realivethey’realivethey’realive

-Remus shutting down whenever he’s gently asked about his scars (a sacrifice made out of loyalty, I saw you die, Isawyoudie-)

The one and only time someone (read: not any of the Chocobros 1.0) suggests separating the twins, if only to give them different suites, the two exploded with magic and were prickly for weeks afterwards.

They may not have known each other well in their past life but by the gods are they gonna be clinging tightly to each other

-They soothe each other’s nightmares

(Oh! What would Regis think the first time both of them felt comfortable enough to go to him to soothe their night terrors?!)

Alsoalsoalso!!

If anyone had thought the twins were feral and protective over each other? Two words: Baby. Noctis.

Romulus spent nearly two decades caring for the little prince turned king and spent another protecting his kingdom.

Remus died for him.

Their baby brother. T H E I R S

Some quick googling and referencing the timeline you set means that Noctis would be born when the twins are 14 years old, 18-19 when Noctis is Chosen by the Crystal, so logically they’d be old enough to have bullied their way into the Crownsguard/Kingsglaive for a few years, or would they go that route? Romulus I can see but it might be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too painful for Remus because-

Traitors. Kinslayers. How dare they-

But also-

Crowe and Libertus.

(Romulus got to know Ostium well during the Long Night and they had become- not friends exactly- but colleagues that Understood Each Other; Remus is internally keening because-brotherinallbutbloodmykinthatdoesn’trecognizeme!)

(Libertus bristles a bit because why are the Royal Twins staring at him?!)

And then I’m just gonna devolve into questions, all the questions!

Who would become Shield to the twins? Would they share? Where’s Titus in all this? Would he still be a traitor? Would the twins foreknowledge actually prevent something from happening that cemented Titus’ anger and hatred against the LC line?

Borrowing from Future is Blurry, would Romulus and Remus be Cor’s half brothers if a test was ever conducted? Or would they prove to have Ulric blood from Remus’ past life, therefore making the Nyx of this timeline related to the Royal Family? I bring this up because you and @a-world-in-grey​ have put a lot of time and thought into Galahd’s culture and I just think Remus wouldn’t just.. stop being Galahdian, which in turn might raise a few questions about the twins ‘mother.’

And also be a tie for Regis to learn about the culture and Galahd as a whole to probably be less angry.. maybe? IDK I’m thinking out loud rn and I just loveloveLOVE this new AU and sorry that got long XD

[secret-engima]

@rayearthdudette >:DD

To answer your ramble, YES, Regis has come face to face with the fact that the father he loves and … distantly respects is SO MUCH WORSE than he could have dreamed.

And this is on top of learning that he has SONS and those sons have not had a kind life so far. Have been hurt and scarred and probably broken in ways he can’t fix before he ever met them (they’re only six, astrals they’re ONLY SIX and they already know how to fight-hunt-kill for themselves). He has ALL THE FEELS and all the thoughts about caring for his sons in the months following claiming them. He’s so afraid of hurting them and making it worse, he calls in Weskham out of desperation because HOW RAISE TRAUMATIZED BBYS.

Cor is ironically the best at handling the twins, but that’s because he is the closest to understanding them

ANd OOO BOY NOCTIS.

They thought the boys were … cute about how devoted they were to Aulea when she first married Regis, but then she gets pregnant and suddenly the twins are her little feral bodyguards. It’s cute up until Romulus tries to shank a noble for getting too close to her baby bump. Regis lecture has no effect. Romulus spent a LIFETIME protecting Noctis only to lose him to the prophecy and Remus is a Galahdian and a Kingsglaive. You can pry his overprotective instincts from his cold dead fingers.

The two young teens FUSS over her like crazy, there is nothing they won’t do for her, and Remus has an alarmingly good “guard at attention” stance he falls into whenever it’s his turn to watch over Aulea. Then baby Noctis is born and it’s-

Romulus cries, quiet so as not to wake him up, but hard and shaking. Remus holds the baby since Romulus is in no condition to do so and looks … Awed. Regis feels like his heart is going to explode when Remus ever so gently brushes his nose against Noctis’s downy hair and breathes every Galahdian blessing he can think of, sings a lullaby and looks at his newborn brother (prince, king, king he died for who deserved so much better) like the babe is his entire world.

Even Cor isn’t as overprotective and devoted to bby Noctis as these two, not by a MILE. XD

Romulus and Remus absolutely join the Kingsglaive which is … Regis is not happy about that, but they do and there’s no stopping them. They have to, they have to help, they can’t just SIT BACK while their country falls and their comrades of another life die.

Even so, Remus goes …. deathly quiet when Nyx, Crowe, and Libertus arrive to sign up, all grieving, hard-eyed teens who think they’re ready to wage war.

Remus sees Crowe and Lib and can barely breathe past the feelings he cannot admit to.

Nyx looks upon the royal twins and freezes when he sees the ulric braids woven proudly in their hair.

He’d thought he had imagined that. On the beaches. During the evacuation when the soldiers were too close and the Nifs were aiming at Selene and he couldn’t get to her couldn’t protect-his-sister-

And then there had been light. Light and lightning of the storm as a shield wrapped around his sister and the two princes had arrived from nowhere to beat back the horde and in all the chaos and the gratitude of having Selene shoved into his arms alive and whole (for that alone his loyalty to the royal line will be absolute, for that moment alone where his sister was returned to him safe and sound) he’d thought he’d IMAGINED the braids swinging from the royal twins hair because what were the odds? Seriously?

Except he’s here now, the second to last Ulric except he’s not because there are TWO MORE RIGHT THERE.

Nyx dares to approach, and it is the elder twin Romulus who answers his question before Nyx can voice it, “Mother died when we were young, but she taught us how to make our braids and sing the Old Songs at least.”

And Nyx feels his knees go weak because the royal twins are ULRICS.

Libertus is a die. The royalty are Ulrics and there are not enough Shields. Help.

Anyway I can see Romulus and Remus becoming … friends with the Trio in this timeline. And it’s weird, and it hurts, but Remus loves them and can do no less than be their friends (be Nyx’s family and Clan because he remembers how badly it hurt to be the Last).

Hmmm Titus is here! Not sure what to do with him yet. Thinking of making him the twin’s joint Shield and Braincell (Titus is a Scream).

Honestly it would probably be both? Like- it would look like Regis was the LC parent and their mom was a Leonis/Ulric, who obviously took after her Ulric culture because no, Remus is not abandoning his culture no matter what time-travel shenanigans have happened and Romulus is perfectly content to learn and adopt the culture as well. They both wear the braids of Ulrics as soon as they can get their hands on black and purple beads. XD

And YES Regis absolutely learns about Galahdian culture through them, because he wants so dearly to bond with his sons, and showing interest in their mother’s culture is a great way to do that. It also comes in handy when the Galahd thing happens and suddenly he has a bunch of refugees to deal with.

Tbh one of the reasons he reluctantly lets the twins join the Kingsglaive is to serve as translators for the Galahd weirdness that filters in.

[rayearthdudette]

@secret-engima *vibrates intensely* Ok so, I have even moar questions on top of everything else because this is just so wonderful \(^0^)/ so forgive me for rambling some more.

One of the biggest things I wanted to ask was how does Aulea react to the twins? Was she nervous at first? Where can she fit in, when the boys speak of their mother with aching sadness and longing. In no way does she want to try and squeeze herself into that empty space, doing irreparable damage to their relationship.

Only for the boys to point blank say something along the lines of “You make our father happy. We will Throw Hands for you. Also, please teach us that move with the butter knife you used to fight off that assassin last week.” And then they go into their devoted routine.

Like- what is she thinking through all that? XD

AND BBY NOCTIS!! AWWWWW!

Petition for Noctis’ first words be ‘Romulus’, ‘Remus’, and ‘brother’?

BBY Noctis almost not learning how to walk because he’s always in his brothers arms (-can’t say no to the ‘up’ gesture I just can’t-)

BBY Noctis toddling behind his big brothers and imitating them. Trying to emulate Romulus’ scowl while Remus coos at him. Standing at Remus’ side and trying to do the ‘guard stance’ while Romulus stifles laughter.

BBY Noctis asking A L L the questions to his big brothers, because they always, always take the time to answer him to the best of their ability.

BBY Noctis demanding all the cuddles after a night terror.

Just BBY Noctis!! *garbled shrieks of joy*

And he has moar family this time!! (Please tell me Aulea lives this time around plsplspls??) Because Noctis is also an Ulric! He has his parents, his brothers, and now Nyx and Selene (???)(Also *screeching* SELENE LIVES THIS TIME!! @#$ YEAH!!) Who are more than delighted to play and give attention to New Little Relative That Is Theirs

Libertus is still an Internal Scream because Royal Ulrics Dear Sweet Ramuh.

(Sidenote question: Would Regis and Aulea be given the braids and beads?)

If the genetic testing is ever done, does Regis officially adopt Cor into his family? Because again, it’s just been proven that Cor is related to the twins? As an older half brother? Or just plain related?

Bet Cor would be even more protective over the twins if that’s how things go :D

I’m gonna reign myself in before this gets too long… okay longer but I’m gonna leave off with the mental image of some poor, stupid noble that dared to insult idk Aulea or Noctis or something and instead of the twins going stab happy for once, they pull the creepy twin thing on him a la The Shining. Just. Standing at the end of a hallway. Staring at him. While smiling.

Lord Something or Other regrets having to cut his duties short, but he must take leave to his estates to recuperate from an illness. Indefinitely. No he won’t tell you what this illness is, he just needs to leave. Now. XD

[secret-engima]

@rayearthdudette

I like rambles! Ramble away! :D

Aulea is very nervous at first. They were found a year before Mors died in the old timeline, and Regis didn’t marry Aulea until 3 years AFTER Mors death. So they are there before Regis starts courting Aulea. Regis, of course, checks with the boys about this and also tells Aulea about the boys and makes sure she’s okay being essentially a stepmom right off the bat. Aulea agrees, because she loves Regis, but she is just- so scared the boys will hate her. Or that she’ll do something to alienate them. She WANTS to be a mother to them, she loves them just because they’re Regis’s (and also because they are sweethearts) but she doesn’t want to replace their old mother. So she moves with caution on the relationship front.

Romulus and Remus however, do not. Well. Remus does a little (he has memories of his old mom after all while Romulus doesn’t) but Remus is still friendly and sweet and willing to BE mommed even if it takes him longer to call her Mom. Romulus has no such hesitation. This is Mom now. Hello Mom. Who can I stab for you today.

And while Aulea loves them and is glad they accept her it … worries her just HOW FAST they acclimate. She did RESEARCH for this endeavor alongside Regis and considering the Issues they think Romulus has and Remus’s scars they thought the two would have SO MUCH more trouble adjusting to Aulea’s presence. She wonders sometimes if they don’t even register that she’s not their original mother. If their original mother died young enough that what memories they have are easily transposed on to her. She knows it’s not true, Remus talks fondly of their mother sometimes and with great clarity in detail, but even so.

Then she gets pregnant and is worried all over again because will they accept a new bby half sibling?

The answer: yes. Intensely and wholeheartedly YES.

Regis has a picture on his desk from during Aulea’s pregnancy, when her bump was big, of the twins sitting on either side of her. Remus has his hand on one side of the bump, feeling bby Noctis kicking, while Romulus … Romulus is leaning over the bump, oh so gently pressing his forehead against it while his palm his splayed on one side of it, a look of utter, blissful CALM on his face that Regis had never seen before on the boy. Like just being near Aulea and his future brother made everything right in the world. And Aulea knows that no matter what happens to her, as she gets sicker and sicker and frailer and frailer, that no matter what, her son will have no shortage of people who adore him.

Of course, Romulus and Remus are there when Noctis is born prematurely, and they refuses to let their mother die. They give her magic, pour it into her soul and shore up her weakness with their strength, and the doctors watch in silent reverence at the boys who hold their mother’s hands in their own and say Not Today. As Remus’s scars split like ravines and glow with wisps of fire and Romulus’s magic cloaks him like silver armor before flowing down to Aulea. Together they turn aside the inevitable. Not because they have something Regis didn’t (because of course the man would do anything to save his wife in either timeline) but because they are, the both of them, too stubborn to submit to limits. LC magic CAN heal, and so for Aulea it WILL.

ALL THE BBY NOCTIS FEELS.

Yes. His first words are Bo-bos (brothers!) followed shortly by Rem (Remus preened for YEARS his was the FIRST NAME) and Rom (Romulus just smirked quietly at a pouting Regis because HAH BROTHER FAVORITISM. Neither twin mentions how hard they both started crying when Noctis said their names the first time. XD

It’s Clarus who has to get on them about Noctis not having any incentive to walk. Regis gently chides the twins but then Clarus is in the back yelling “YOU’RE JUST AS BAD YOU FAKER”. Eventually the twins take to coaxing Noctis into walking practice by luring him back and forth between them. Also Remus is already plotting shenanigans with his baby sib and that requires Noctis having some version of self mobility (Regis is not amused by the things he hears Remus plotting).

Romulus Dies whenever Noctis tries to mimic the Scowl. Just- no. No stahp he can’t function from the cute.

Remus gently corrects Noctis’s stance while hiding his goofy grin, the Crownsguard are all a unanimous Die™ the day they find Remus and Noctis standing side by side “guarding” their mom while she smothers a laugh.

Bby Noctis goes to the twins over his mom or dad for questions and both Parents are Dying From Cute but also Mortification. NO ROMULUS just because Noctis asks to learn how to use a sword doesn’t mean you can teach him that yet HE’S ONLY THREE ROMULUS. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WERE LEARNING HOW TO STAB THINGS AT THAT AGE.

Remus and Romulus share a suite, so finding one for a night terror always leads to both curling up around Noctis in a giant pillar fort for the night, boxing him in between them so the monsters can’t find him (Regis and Aulea have several thousand pictures of these moments, taken by servants and guards and one very stoic Cor who is NOT CRYING INTERNALLY FROM THE CUTE kthanks).

Nyx and Selene adore their royal “cousins” and Selene may or may not be pitching for the title of Royal Babysitter (she’ll have to pry it from Romulus’s cold dead fingers but hey A+ for the effort). Also all the Ostium are collectively a Scream. On one hand more Ulrics! Yay! On the other ROYAL ULRICS. We’re all doomed.

Also this makes me want to add a tiny fem!Ostium to Noct’s Retinue as like- Noct’s Sword or something. Just- tiny Ostium showing up during one of Noctis’s stints down in Little Galahd with Selene and all present witness Noctis just- Go for something he shouldn’t only to be dragged back by his ear with a firm “No” by bby Ostium. Lib is so proud. Of course then she turns around and punches a Bellum kiddo in the face for making fun of Noct like an hour later and all the Ostiums go “oh no it’s an OPENLY FITEY OSTIUM how will we explain THAT to the king”.

Yes Regis and Aulea are both “adopted” by Remus fairly early on. Regis is highly amused that he now has a Chief to pay homage too. Nyx is a die. Remus may or may not be in the corner cackling “better you than me sucker!” whenever Nyx has to balance being the Ulric Chief with being an obedient Kingsglaive. Titus ALSO gets adopted by the twins, so Nyx is even more of a Die when he joins the glaive and finds out two of his superiors are technically his clansmen. He’s the Chief. Help him Lib, PLEASE. Lib without blinking: no.

I … like this? Testing is done for Some Other Reason and Regis is like “Cor … you’re related to my sons.” Cor who already knows what the next words out of Regis’s mouth is going to be “NO”. Regis: “COR YOU’RE A PRINCE. MY OFFICIAL BABY BROTHER.” Cor gets a Clan Braid so that brings the tally of “Famous people Nyx didn’t know he’d have to be the chief of until he got to Insomnia” up to like- SIX. Seven counting adorable bby Noctis.

Remus is the one to teach Romulus the Creepy Twins routine, because it is a time-honored folk tale in Galahd. Romulus loves it. They do it to nobles who say bad things about the Aulea (or Regis) or are anti-Galahdian and stuff. XDD

[rayearthdudette]

@secret-engima

FOUND IT! Meant to reblog with more questions but got Distracted™ and then forgot until just recently XD

Ok *cracks knuckles*

First off, I will always, ALWAYS love the mental image of tiny Noctis with his big brothers. Just had to reiterate that.

Also, imagine him running up before either are deployed when they’re official Kingsglaive, to give them drawings of carbuncle to ‘protect’ them, because that’s what his ‘Buncle does for him.

Or little trinkets he makes that say 'World’s Best Big Brother(s)’ in scrawled kid’s chicken scratch.

Regis pouts until he gets the 'Best Dad’ mug.

Aulea discreetly lords her collection of macaroni necklaces over them all, in good fun of course.

Or Romulus and Remus singing their baby brother to sleep.

Or the first time Noctis gets seriously ill, they take shifts frantically caring for him until he gets better, then fall ill themselves. Noctis gives them his favorite stuffed chocobos to help them get better.

Or.. Or Remus treating Noctis to ice cream after they pull off Noctis’ first successful prank.

Romulus shamelessly sneaking Noctis sweets and getting scolded by Ignis.

Hgdhfhfhdgdhhd CUTENESS OVERLOAD!

I love Selene trying for Royal Babysitter for her baby cousin, does she have a standing argument with Romulus about it? Do they occasionally Throw Hands over who gets babysitting privilages (with Nyx and Remus cheering them on)?

Quick aside.. Titus having Nyx as his chief is hilarious! Like, this is his newly recruited Glaive that has done a lot.. A LOT of Dumb™ and he’s 1) related to the royal family (HIS stupid royals) and 2) the chief of his new clan. Titus is such an Internal Scream™. Axis gives him commiserating pats on the back.

But also kinda nice, does the entire family/clan have a day set apart that is just them gathering together for good food and sharing more of clan stories? A time for Regis and Aulea to be just them, not King and Queen? Same thing for Cor and Titus? No duties, obligations etc, only family and clan matters right now? *grabby gremlin racoon hands* ALL THE FOUND FAMILY FEELS™!!

Also LOVE the idea of Noctis getting an Ostium Sword. How does that introduction go?

“Dad this is my Sword! She punched a Bellum who was being mean! And then, then she fought off three other kids!!”

Regis, who is, like, 90% integrated with Galahd culture at this point, sees the Ostium braids and raises an eyebrow at Libertus.

On to questions about her; is she related to Libertus? What would her favored weapon be? Does she butt heads with Gladio over how to train Noctis? Does she poke at Ignis or are they two long suffering Braincells in a pod, just one that’s more openly Fite Me? What about Prompto?

…Actually.. How even does Prompto come about? Does Cor actually adopt him in this AU making him another 'royal’ cousin, since Cor is technically a prince now? Cor just- kicks down Regis’ office door 'I FOUND A BABY! HE’S MINE NOW!’ and skedaddles out before Regis can register what he said.

'COR WHERE DID YOU FIND A BABY!“

'Niflheim, but they can’t have him back. Mine now!’

*garbled noises*

Romulus and Remus just coo over their new bby cousin.

But anyways! With so many high profile Lucians that are essentially dual citizens, do the nobility start protesting? Give snide commentary? Get challenged to a duel by an irate Regis because how dare!

This is becoming more string of consciousness than anything else but eh-

Do the Ostiums adopt the Amicitas? Or does Axis call dibs?

Do the twins get two Hands and two Swords since they get two Shields? Who becomes the Heart(s)??

This one would probs be under Spoiler territory so no need to answer, but how is Ardyn taking this? Do the twins assassinate Besithia and look at the hated Chancellor and go 'is anyone going to adopt the crazy ancient uncle?’ And don’t wait for an answer? Or is it Final Battle Boss Fight of Epic Proportions?

I kinda devolved at the end there, so I’m gonna stop before I become incoherent XD

[secret-engima]

@rayearthdudette

FOUND THE THING. Tumblr why you no TELL ME THING EXISTED. I HAD TO TRACK IT DOWN.

Anyway! All the adorable sibling shenanigans yes. Romulus and Remus dote on Noctis at every turn, and he adores them in return.

He so gets them little carbuncle charms. Like- those play-do things but they can be baked into permanent shapes? He uses that (and a lot of help from mom and dad) to make two little carbuncle charms they can wear as necklaces.

Remus sings Galahdian lullabies for Noctis ALL THE TIME. Noctis adores them.

Selene and Romulus have a long-standing argument over Who Is The Royal Babysitter and yes they have Thrown Hands over this while Remus cheers in the back and Noctis just looks confused over the suddenly busted furniture.

Romulus wins every time. Because Obviously. Selene is a screech, and if she keeps doing this, then someday she’s going to be the third next coming of Cor the Immortal because her regular sparring partner is ROMULUS.

Titus is staring off into space with an expression that matches that guy from The Office. (In your head, no one can hear you Scream™)

Axis is the only one to show proper sympathy for Titus’s problems in life.

They SO have a regular family gathering! It’s probably a monthly thing, to just sit down and hang out and be family rather than the slightly complicated hierarchy of royals and Clan that they are the rest of the month. Nyx gets to roll around playing with the kids, Titus gets to indulge in some wine, exchange news with Regis outside a formal setting, and everything is just- nice. Aulea loves to coax Nyx into teaching her Galahdian dances and Regis enjoys watching his wife laugh as she’s pulled into an artful spin by a slightly shy Nyx.

Noctis drags home his new Ostium Sword and goes, “New FRIEND!”

Regis takes one look at this Smol Child with bloody knuckles and a protective look on her face, and at the look of long suffering on Nyx and Libertus, and goes … ah. So he found his Sword already. That’s concerning.

Libertus: I apologize ahead of time for her, Your Majesty, her grandfather was a Bellum.

Nyx: Hang on a Bellum married into the Ostium? Since WHEN?

Libertus: Grandma Serendine.

Nyx: … never mind that explains everything.

Hmmmm bby’s fav weapon is a battle axe I think. A nice big one with lots of chopping power. Single blade so that she can sometimes turn it around and use the haft as a bludgeon instead. She and Gladio get along like a house on fire, but only after they worked out their hierarchy in the Retinue via snide remarks leading up to a knock down drag out fight they both lost because one got a broken arm and the other got a broken nose and two black eyes long heartfelt discussion. Ignis is the Primary Braincell, Ostium bby is the Fighty Braincell. Ignis and her will get along just fine up until there’s a chance to Throw Hands, at which point Ignis becomes the sole voice of reason and also a Sigh™.

PROMPTO. As if I’d leave darling Prompto behind.

Cor goes on a mission to get Prompto in the same timeline as canon, so that’s way before fighty Ostium or any of that. But when he comes back and is talking to Regis about What To Do With Child and is being talked into giving him up, Romulus pops out of the woodwork (giving everyone a heart attack, they thought he was with Remus doting on his new baby brother), snatches Prompto right out of Cor’s hands with a snarl and disappears into the old family escape tunnels again. Regis is clutching his chest, Clarus is sighing, and Cor is giving chase because HEY. HIS CHILD.

Romulus: NO HE’S NOT YOU WERE GOING TO ABANDON HIM.

Cor: HE DESERVES A NORMAL LIFE, IT’S NOT ABANDONMENT.

Romulus: YOU DON’T WANT HIM SO NOW HE’S MINE.

Cor: HE IS NOT-

Prompto: *quiet, shy crying baby noises*

Romulus and Cor: *agitated attempts to soothe child while still arguing over who owns said child*

In the end Cor is so dead set on proving Romulus wrong about the abandonment thing that Regis and Clarus wouldn’t be able to pry him loose from his new dad status with a bomb. (Romulus goes back to babysitting Noctis and high-fives Remus. Mission accomplished.)

Anyway! As the Ulric Clan slowly becomes more and more filled with Important Persons, yes there is a lot of gossiping and snide commentary, but those are met with frosty looks from Regis and outright shark smiles from Aulea, and they’re already known as eccentric for openly keeping Romulus and Remus, so really all the nobility can do is swallow this bitter pill.

Those who don’t tend to get challenged to a duel by Cor the Immortal himself, and also snubbed publicly by the king, which is really damaging for their precious noble reputations. (Also the twins will prank the heck out of anyone who refuses to get the message even then, and that always works because the twins are terrifying).

The Ostiums and Axis get into an argument over who adopts the Amicitias until eventually they just throw their hands and name the Amicitia’s a new, allied Clan of both, just like how the Arra came to be in my HCs. This means the Ostium-Ulric alliance is tangentially connected to the Lazarus-Furia-Arra alliance via the Arra-Amicitia-Ostium pact. The rest of the Clans are kind of a Fear for having that much history and Reckless-Braincell combos colliding like this.

I … have yet to decide what’s going on with the rest of the twin’s Retinue so I’ll need to come back to that sometime.

Also yes, Ardyn and Besithia are under Spoilers because honestly I haven’t decided what I want yet.

The temptation for a Big Boss Fight ending with Ardyn being given the Dionysus treatment and the twins freaking out over it before shrugging and coming home like DAD WE PULLED A YOU AND NOW THERE’S A KID is strong but we’ll see.