Okaaaaay, so @prompto-cam and I were talking about it and long story short,
Here are some Headcanons for that Centaur!Gladio and Cervitaurs!Ignis AU from this pretty art! C:
Ignis actually wasn’t scared when Gladio helped him when he found the cervitaur caught in that trap.
He was scared when he first heard Gladio approach, though.
Ignis is blind, but he’s pretty good with his ear. However, after a while with his leg trapped and due to the injury, he’s panicking a bit and fears a human may find him if he finds no answer soon.
That’s when he heard Gladio approach, but all that he hears is horse steps.
The first thing in Ignis’ head is that this is a human-domestic horse carrying its owner, but he’s also aware that pulling from his leg will only injure it more.
His reaction is to stay still, lower the head a bit, and cover his nude human torso with the arms, more in a subconscious reaction of feeling exposed rather than modesty.
Gladio hasn’t realized that the cervitaur is blind, so it doesn’t cross his head to explain he’s a centaur (‘cause it’s obvious…to creatures who can see).
Not knowing Iggy can’t see him, Gladio sees in him a scared and vulnerable young cervitaur.
Really the only thing that’s wrong is that Ignis thinks this may be a human.
“Hey. See you got caught. Thank the gods I found you before any human.”
That’s when Ignis relaxes.
“I’m going to free you, alright? Don’t be scared.”
“I’m not. I was at first because I wasn’t sure what you were. But judging as you’re not a person, and the horse steps, I will assume you’re a centaur. Am I correct?”
Gladio’s a bit startled at first. Ignis’ eyes do look strange, but he looks around and behaves as if though he could see (too confident), so the centaur is only now catching that this cervitaur is blind.
“Yeah. Sorry to startle you.”
“That’s alright. If you’re a centaur, then I should be the opposite of scared. I would really use some help here…”
As mentioned in original artist’s canon of this AU, Gladio frees him and takes him to the spot nearby a lake that he inhabits with Noct and Prom, a werecat and an elf, respectively.
Iggy quickly befriends these two because he starts spending most his days with them.
None has another place to go, so this is where they stay; Gladio, however, as a centaur and guardian of the forest, goes out most of the day for patrolling. Noctis and Prom decided to stay at their spot to look after the injured cervitaur and see after his injury.
Prom has a slightly dumb hand for this, but he’s constantly making sure that Ignis is comfortable and always asks him how he’s doing and if he needs anything, which makes Iggy grow fond of him very quickly.
Noct can behave a bit rude or asocial sometimes, but Iggy learns to read through him and see the little hints that show that he cares; he’s got a better hand for injuries, so he’s checking up on it better (but not more) than Prom.
However, the four get to hang together and that’s how the gang is united and pls let them be happeh forever
You know this psychological thing that I can’t name that says that the more that you see yourself in another person (not only visually), the easier/quicker/more you grow fond of them?
This equation has it simple for the boys: Prom and Noct, as the most humanized of creatures, share a stronger bond than Noct and Gladio or Igs or Prom and Gladio or Igs.
Hence, as centaur and cervitaur, two creatures very alike, Igs and Gladio have it super easy to grow very comfortable with each other, more/different than with the other two.
Noctis likes to sleep in his panther form and curl against Ignis.
“He’s warm.”
Prompto feels betrayed.
(don’t worry, it’s all playful)
Ignis likes to pet Noct and Prom; he can’t see, so he likes to feel their skin or hair.
The guys are suckers for it.
Noctis, mostly.
He’ll go to Ignis and just sit at his side or rub against his legs or human torso until the cervitaurs pets him.
Ignis thought this was a panther, not a kitten.
“Cats will always be cats, I guess.”
Ignis really likes toying with both Noct’s and Prom’s ears.
“Pointy. :).”
In exchange, the guys like to touch his antlers.
Ignis doesn’t like that at first.
The guys are children-level of insistent so Ignis just gets used to it and lets them.
When Ignis’ leg recovers from the injury, Gladio suggests he starts taking small walks to stretch the legs and make sure he stays healthy and etcetera.
Gladio’s worried something may happen to the blind cervitaur, because his leg is healed from the injury but not fully.
That’s how the centaur starts going with the cervitaur for walks in the forest.
It’s small walks at first, and Gladio makes sure to return Ignis to their safe spot before leaving again for his patrolling.
Each day, the walks become a little longer, little by little, until Ignis fully heals.
Even then, when he’s fully recovered, he asks Gladiolus to accompany him in his patrolling.
Gladio’s not too confident about it at first, but agrees.
He really likes the cervitaur’s company.
Gladio had guessed that this blind cervitaur could be a bit of a fragile and scaredy guy; first impressions left their impact, and a blind creature tends to not be confident.
However, it’s during their walks together that Gladio learns Ignis is the opposite to all that.
The cervitaur moves as if though he can see with no troubles.
Gladio learns that all his “there’s a stump in the way” and “be careful, there’s a rock in there” have all been useless; Ignis sees the road without needing to see it.
“Why didn’t you tell me you could walk around without help?”
“Your help was a very kind gesture, and I didn’t want to be rude.”
Ignis, you beautiful thing.
Ignis even knows some ways through the forest that Gladio himself, a centaur, a centaur that goes on constant patrolling, didn’t know.
Ignis starts showing him ‘shortcuts’, better ways to take to some place, another route to somewhere else, or just a very nice place.
This is how the two start bonding together besides living together and their conversations of four; with walks through the forest, that started to heal Iggy’s leg, and transformed into mere enjoyment <3
Hnngndfngndnnfd
When Ignis is fully recovered, he likes to run with Gladio.
They’re both starting to grow sort of friendly competitive against each other, and running was the first (and most common) competence they have.
Gladio had assured him that he’s a very strong centaur with long and strong legs. Ignis said he’s himself.
Ignis won.
The little bastard.
Gladio’s body is very strong and the strength gives him some speed, sure.
But Ignis’ body is slender and gracile. He’s more speed than strength.
He’s lighter, so he’s like a bolt.
Have you seen a damn deer run?
There goes the cervitaur, like an arrow in the air, and Gladio trying to catch up.
Long story short, these two like to either walk through the forest, or run together. :3
Hey, look, we’re back at their spot by the lake with Nyactis and Orlando Bloom but better Prompto.
Prompto usually takes patrols as well, but he’s mostly in the surroundings of their spot; he’s the guardian of it, making sure no humans or any sort of bad guy tries to take it from them.
Noctis is a lazy bastard.
But he knows how to fight, don’t worry.
Noctis behaves much like a feline whether he’s in his human or panther form.
And I mean that includes the smart gaze looking at everything, the grace of jumps and landing, the fierce look in the eyes…
…and also the purring and playfulness.
Noctis likes to lie on the ground and play with Gladio’s tail.
It swings.
Prompto likes to shoot some arrows (he’s an archer <3) and Noctis has to go catch it.
Noctis is trying to play with Iggy’s tail, but he always changes it for Gladio’s.
It’s longer. Funnier to play with.
Speaking of Iggy’s tail,
When Ignis starts growing feelings for Gladio, as in having a crush, he’ll get very happy when Gladio compliments him or smiles at him or something nice and innocent.
And his little tail starts going WRIGGLE WRIGGLE WRIGGLE WRIGGLE WRIGGLE WRIGGLE
Look at that tail, it’s so tiny and ridiculous hisdonfjsdfd it’s adorable
It moves so fast in such little movements, the tiny thing ahahaha
Ignis usually fights with all his might so that his tail stops moving before Gladio notices
Gladio sometimes notices anyway
Gladio will grin and tease him about it
Gladio will say it’s cute and that he’s happy Iggy is happy
And he’ll proceed to pet (or try to pet) Ignis on the head.
Ignis usually backs away and tries to smack his hand away.
“Oi! Gladiolus! Stop that, I’m not a puppy you can pet! >:(”
Gladio will pet him anyway
(Psst. Ignis likes it)
Gladio started that as a way to annoy him, but he starts to really enjoy it.
Mostly Ignis’ deer spine.
It took a while for Ignis to stop freaking out and complaining.
He used to complain at first because he feels like a puppy or a child and who do you think I am and how dare you treat me like this, you’re- oh gods, it actually feels so nice, hndnnnfg.
Iggy now tends to fall asleep very easily when Gladio’s petting his animal back.
Noctis sometimes lets his feline side take over and will interrupt by sneaking in between Gladio’s hand and Iggy’s body.
This guy wants to be pet too :’(
When the guys realize that Gladio & Iggy are slowly but surely becoming a couple, Noctis will reach for Prompto and cling to him.
“Yeah, well, then I choose this one. He won’t betray me like you two. You’ll scratch me, right, Prompto?”
“I guess (・・ ) ?”
Are you guys sure this is a panther
Gladio likes to have Iggy rub his antlers against him to scratch him where he can’t reach
Where he can reach, too
Iggy’s antlers scratching him are just /so nice/
Iggy started that by accident
He was trying to poke Gladiolus as a friendly gesture.
Gladio ended up saying “Oh gods, that was nice, can you do it again? And now move? And…yes…oh yes…right there…a little to the right- oh yes…”
Ignis tends to get neckache so often because of how long he spends scratching Gladiolus and his horse body.
Nyactis in the distance like >:(
Ahahaha
Iggy’s antler are still not on their full size (though really they only need a few inches more), so sometimes they itch.
Gladio thinks that the most adorable thing to ever see in the universe is Ignis scratching his antlers against a tree.
It’s so dumb and adorable
Prompto likes shiny things and making simple elf-like jewelry, and his favorite model is Ignis’ antlers.
He likes to make “antlerlaces”, strings with little shiny pebbles that come and go all over Iggy’s antlers.
Gladio has a lot of troubles to stare, because he wants to stare /all day/ when Iggy has some of that “antlerlaces” but he doesn’t want the cervitaur to be uncomfortable
Ignis actually likes that Gladio stares.
Gladio already considered Iggy to be absolutely gorgeous; the little elf jewelry gives him some sort of divine look that makes the centaur re-realize how pretty Ignis is.
Prom secretly put some of his best “antlerlace” jewelry on Iggy the first time the cervitaur and the centaur were going to go out for a walk as in “a date”, officially now.
Iggy let him.
You should have seen Gladio, he wasn’t expecting that.
He forgot how to speak and tried for so long.
Ignis is so happy, he feels so good bc Gladio looks at him like the cervitaur is some deity and it makes him feel so hsdngjdfngfdo
They spent that night at another lake, just the two of them, looking at the stars or at each other.
Not like there’s much difference for them between the stars and each other’s eyes.
I don’t really know what else to say or how I can finish this, so Imma stop here. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
I hope it’s fine, @prompto-cam, and if anyone else has more ideas for this AU I’d love to see/read them! Also, hope you enjoyed these! c:
