~ NSFW ~ Light in the Darkness ~ Ignis x OC ~ FFXV ~ Sylveron - Astral Rayne

[Sylveron]

To swear an oath is one thing, but to follow through on that oath with conviction is another. More often than not, an oath is something simply seen as a means of showing fealty, but in its purest form, it is showing undying loyalty to a person, a country, or a cause. This sentiment was engraved within the being of any who would show interest in becoming oath sworn to the royal family of Insomnia. Some were brought in out of happenstance, while others were chosen and groomed from a young age to be scholars or warriors. For Ignis, the latter was the case. Ignis was born to a family with close ties to the royal family, some of its members were advisors in stratagem, and some were advisors in science and magical arts. From an early age, Ignis was set on a course to become one or the other but ultimately excelled so well in both regards that he was placed as an advisor and member of the crown guard of the young prince. By the age of 22, Ignis had developed so far in the arts of battle and magic that he was considered an indispensable ally to Noctis, as well as a close friend whom he could depend on to keep his hot-headed nature in check. At this point in his life, Ignis had never once thought that the world that they knew was on the verge of collapse and that the lives of himself and his friends were about to take on a harrowing turn.

Ignis was never the type to think about what many might consider to be bad omens, but even the start of their journey was rife with bad luck. First, the Regalia broke down, not even halfway to the Hammerhead Garage. Ignis had already taken the car there a week or two beforehand at the request of King Regis to have the regular maintenance taken care of. That trip had its benefits, but with the current state of affairs in question, they had little to no time for any delay. Noctis was due for his wedding to an allied state's princess, Lunafreya. What none would know, however, was that an enemy state had been waiting for a moment to strike and that moment had been when both of their enemies would be distracted by that very same wedding. Over the coming days and months, the group would operate with the help of Cid and his employees as they made their way to sacred tombs of the Kings of old, allowing Noctis to gain access to powerful relics that would help him in his journey to meet with Lunafreya and stop the encroachment of the armies of Niflheim. With each day, Ignis and his friends became more powerful, eventually their travels brought them to Altissia, where they met with Lunafreya, who had been working to awaken the Astrals and gain their favor to help Noctis eradicate the threat of Niflheim as well as a new growing threat called the Starscourge, an encroaching darkness that left nothing but death and destruction within its wake.

The destined meeting though was bittersweet, as they made to awaken Leviathan, Ardyn, an advisor from Niflheim attacked, wounding Noctis and resulting in the death of Lunafreya, who used the last of her magical power to heal Noctis. Though healed, Noctis did not recover quickly and in the heat of the moment, following his oath as a crown guard, Ignis donned the magical ring of the royal family to defend Noctis from Ardyn. At the cost of Ignis' sight, he was granted the power to safeguard his king from the enemy. Once the fighting died down, Prompto as well as Gladio took Ignis and Noctis back into hiding, returning to the Hammerhead Garage to heal, regroup and plan their next move. Even though he wanted to go with his friends, at the behest of Ren and Noctis, Ignis was left to stay while his friends went onward in their quest to find the stolen crystal of Insomnia, which was now known to Noctis as a gateway to obtain the true power of his forefathers, which he would need to remove Ardyn and his threat from their world.

Upon the departure of Noctis and his friends, Ignis found himself once more embraced by the constraints of physical and mental exhaustion, resulting in him fainting where he stood as he heard the Regalia leave. "I'm too old for this shit." An old man stated as he looked at Ignis, thankful that he had been standing next to Ren who had caught him before his head hit the cement below. "Cindy, help Ren get him inside before the sun bakes his brain more than it already has been." Cid ordered before making his way toward the front door of the shop to keep it open. "Take him downstairs into the living quarters for now. Ren, I'm leaving him in your care, I know the two of you have become close. Cindy, after you're done, we'll need to get in the garage and get caught up on work." Cid added as the two walked past. "I have a feeling that things are gonna be changing soon and not in a good way, we need to get all our backlog done so we can stock up for the worst-case scenario." Cid stated before closing the door and flipping the sign on the front over from open to closed.

It was hard to tell just how long Ignis had been away from the land of the conscious and in the land of dreams, though in some ways he wished he was still in that land of dreams as they were accompanied by vivid color and sight. Now, he was greeted by darkness and a pulsing throb within his head that he likened to the extreme hangover he had after his twenty-first birthday. His body ached from the top of his head to the very tips of his toes as he pushed himself from a laying position to sitting upright on the cushioned surface of what he was sure was a couch. "Please... for the love of everything good and right in the world... Please tell me that you have some coffee or tea that you can make right now." Ignis groaned before feeling his body protest his current seated position in the form of a cramp that made him return to his previous position of lying down on the couch. "I would do it myself, but it appears as though my body is telling me no. Not that it matters, I'd be more likely to burn myself or run into something all things considered." Ignis admitted as he brought his right arm up, resting it against his forehead as he took a deep breath and followed it with an even deeper sigh. "I should be out with the guys, not sitting here... Then again, I guess if I had gone they would have had to split their attention between infiltration and me. It makes sense I suppose..." Ignis finished before lightly wincing. "My apologies, it would seem I forgot my manners... I didn't even bother to ask. Who is here with me, and how did I get inside? Last I remember, I was outside and the Regalia had just left..."

@Astral Rayne

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren

"Oh, stop causing such a fuss now, Ren." Cindy outright frowned at the way the dual toned woman maneuvered around the inner workings of the shop in a kind of daze. Nothing appeared to make much sense to her at the moment, and the few instances that did were quickly dwindling and giving way to unadulterated panic. The day started with such promise, both women busy tinkering away at a motorbike that had been left in their care just two days prior but the work that it needed done to it would easily take about a solid weeks' time. Tedious work, but the bread and butter of the mechanic business all the same. At least that had been the case until the Regalia showed up, and from the somewhat grim look on Gladio's face and the way Prompto tried to avoid her gaze it caused a knot to well inside of her gut instinctively. If they looked so outright guilty without so much as a word uttered, it had to do with Ignis. She was proven quite right, as soon as her boyfriend stumbled out of the front seat and promptly collapsed. If Ren had not been just a step or two away, it was quite likely his head would have met the pavement and caused more internal damage. "This is bad, Cindy. They mentioned the possibility that he might have lost his sight entirely!" Ren sounded frantic at this point, finally allowing her back to lean against the nearby counter and her head to fall back as a means of relieving some built up tension. "I'm sorry about the need to bail on the current job, but-" Ren gestured toward the living quarters, the place she had left a collapsed Ignis just long enough to begin the process of brewing a fresh pot of tea.

Cindy waved her hand dismissively, not too keen on hearing the rest of the reason. "Darlin', this is what friends are for. I am happy that you can trust me enough to put down your guard." In truth, few people were ever privy to Ren's actual feelings since they were generally hidden behind a well-constructed mask. Personal trauma from stemming from her childhood forced the need for it, no one needed to know the fact that her own father had been a drunk and took delight in beating on both her and her mother after getting fully plastered. Fuck any sort of trust that the woman had in most men upon becoming an adult. Ignis had somehow been an enigma, breaking down wall after wall that she had deemed a necessity until nothing was left but her soul to bare. The two hit it off swimmingly, quite taken with each other and in the scant time of about two months they had begun dating. Ren found her mind being brought back to the present by a loud cough, instinctively grabbing onto a coffee mug that she used in the mornings and pouring the freshly steeped liquid inside. "I'll come to check on you in a bit, perhaps once I make sure he is at least resting comfortably."

She rounded the corner and came face to face with Ignis, or at least that would have been the case if his injuries had not forced him back into a prone position almost immediately. A wry little smile lifted plush lips as she listened to his half hearted whine, what might usually be considered an annoyance was right now a blessing. He was here, and he was still very much alive and breating. "I thought I told you multiple times before that I do not need your so called manners, Iggy." She sighed at this, not able to stop the way her hand reached out to touch across his cheek and memorize the muscle and texture that had been absent from her life for going on about three months now. "It's Ren, you stubborn oaf. The others brought you here and you collapsed shortly after. Noctis mentioned possibly letting you rest and then departing but I told them to leave you here." Ren knew that making such a decision for him was not exactly in her job description, but damn the consequences of having Ignis be a bit pissed at her for it. "You are in absolutely no condition to be doing anything but resting and trying to recuperate. Damn it, Ignis. You are seriously injured!" Ren felt the way her lower lip trembled, tears threatening to break free at any given time and once they started it would be a feat to stop them.

"I made you some tea right after bringing you inside. Here, if I remember right you tended to prefer herbal." Ren managed to shift him in such a way that Ignis now had his head rested on the expanse of her lap, fingertips dancing through his hair in an attempt to sooth him a little more. "I am taking a few days off work to tend to you and your wounds. No doubt that with your eyes in the condition they are in, it will take a lot of training to do even the most mundane of tasks on your own." She did not see fit to mince any words with him, a trait that usually Ignis admired from her. "As for accommodations, I can make my bed work for the two of us. It has been quite a while since we had the chance to spend quality time together, after all." Ren tried to crack a joke to lighten the mood, but she refused to give up the physical touch at the moment. "You could have died, Iggy. You should know that I refuse to let you leave me just yet."​

 

[Sylveron]

If there was one thing Ignis was currently grateful for at the moment, it would be the fact that he could not see what he was sure was the exasperated scowl he had grown to know in the past. Ren was right of course, there was no reason for him to have even been near Niflheim, much less traveling with his friends in his current condition. He could imagine it though, her lips set in a grim pout as she managed to move him around, the way her soft eyes would be glistening with held-back tears as she spoke with him. The sound of her voice was evident enough that he had indeed incurred far more injuries than he had originally suspected. "I do appreciate that you are taking care of me, though, I will remind you that manners maketh man. Without manners, we are no better than the beasts or demons over which we wish to hold dominion." Ignis replied as he enjoyed the warmth radiating down his neck and shoulders from her lap, the soft warmth doing much to relieve the tension in his neck. "I do apologize for making you worry, Ren. I admit, it's my fault for the shape that I am in... But, all things considered, if I hadn't made that choice, I fear all of us could very well be dead at this point." Ignis explained before lifting his arms to cross them over his chest.

The way Ren spoke made Ignis internally bemoan his decision, but it had been for the best, now he would have to live with the consequences of his decision. "A few days off work and offering to share your bed... just what did you have planned, Ren? As long as my body permits, I guess it would be no different than just having the lights off. That is of course unless you plan on taking advantage of a poor defenseless cripple... Granted, that would require me to be an unwilling party. I guess I could play the part if that would tickle your fancy." Ignis replied with a grin adorning his lips before laughing and wincing as his body protested the movement. The mood though quickly grew somber as she made mention of just how close he had come to death, his right arm lifting as he reached back slowly before his gloved right hand's fingertips brushed against the skin of what he thought was her face. "I didn't plan on leaving you, Ren. Nor did I plan on leaving anyone else for that matter. I was simply required to fulfill my oath as a crown guard. My sight and a fair bit of... inconvenience, is a small price to pay to secure that Noctis' life." Ignis replied as he slowly drifted his fingertip over the soft flesh of the woman he rested on.

"That boy is now our King, he watched the love of his life sacrifice herself to save him. There are powers at play here that go far beyond political gain, ancient and evil powers that wish for naught but the destruction of our world as we know it. Noctis is the only one that can save us and if my sacrifice can ensure his victory, then I happily accept it." Ignis added before retracting his arm and removing his glove from his hand, moving his arm back to where it had been before realizing his error. "I really will have to work on this... Once again, I apologize." Ignis admitted with a bit of fluster, realizing the area he had been petting had not been her face but rather the soft curvature of one of her breasts through her top. "I'm unsure if I wish to know the answer, but why didn't you stop me? Did you simply just enjoy my touch or were you far too amused and wished to see my reaction once I figured it out on my own?" Ignis added before laying his arm back down, deciding a change of topic was in order, to steer away from the current situation.

"As for training and recovery, thankfully I underwent a bit of night and blindfolded training in the royal academy. Niflheim once employed the use of flashbangs and tear gas, which could leave a person blind temporarily, so we were taught how to at least maneuver to some degree with limited or no sight. We also had night missions where we were given no means of light and had to either conceal ourselves or move to a targeted destination without triggering detection." Ignis explained before leaning his head forward and taking a sip of tea offered to him. "We will have to make a cane or staff for me to use for the time being, preferably hollow so I can hear the difference between objects and terrain. With any luck, perhaps I'll garner some favor with the Astrals themselves and regain some semblance of sight in the future, but until then, hope for the best but prepare for the worst." Ignis finished before resting his head back on her lap. "How bad does it look, Ren? Will they be dreadfully ugly scars or do you think they will make me look more dashing?" Ignis asked as a means of lightening the mood once more.

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren had to bite back a retort at the way Ignis proceeded to make mention of his royal duty. Of course, she understood his position as a whole and even encouraged his convictions, but it did not mean by any means that she had to agree with or like it all the time. Lips barely managed to fight off a squeak as she felt one of his gloved hands reach up and begin caressing her left breast in soothing circular motions. God, if the two of them were actually alone this might have quite a different meaning behind it, well, that and the severe trauma that was currently incapacitating Ignis from even sitting upright for long. Thighs took to quivering a little, trying in earnest to keep her thoughts on something relatively pure to avoid the intrusive thoughts that would only end up setting back his personal recovery. This was promptly interrupted by the sudden appearance of Cindy, though the sandy blond appeared to be at a loss for words at the scene she had walked in on. Ren for her part actually managed to keep herself quiet, chest shaking in restrained laughter that was just seconds away from bursting at the seams. "Well, well. If it isn't the supposed gentleman of the bunch." Cindy smiled brightly and the comment from her caused Ren to break into a fit of giggles, somehow able to keep a hold of Ignis to avoid dropping the poor man onto the floor below.

"Oh, cut him a bit of a break, Cindy. He can't exactly see what he's doing right now - not that I minded in the least." Ren grinned as that retort caused her friend to actually blush profusely. "I was gonna see if you had a minute to help me out but looks like you're mighty busy." The two women fought back tears as that comment appeared to alert Cid who had until that moment been out of earshot. "See here, you best not be doing anything of the sort on my damn couch!" Ren's face became as red as a cherry, both due to a blush from Ignis and his unintentional petting and the amusement of the newfound situation. She leaned down to make it so that her words would only be heard by him, a hot puff of air blowing against the shell of his ear in the process. "No, it is not possible to rape the willing. Trust me, when we are certain that your body can withstand it, I plan on showing you exactly how badly I've missed you." A part of her delighted in the look that crossed over his face in response, it was quite rare to catch Ignis off guard and when the chance presented itself it was best to bask in it as long as possible. "To answer your question, nothing could ever make you look anything but dashing and handsome in my eyes."

Ren took on the job of holding the cup of tea and slowly allowing him to nurse it until the contents were drained completely. She was glad that his condition had not put a damper on his love of tea, though her mind wandered to the prospect of possibly fashioning a cane for him since the basic concept would be simple enough. "I should be able to make a cane for you, it might take me a day or two to fashion it. Until then, I am afraid you are stuck relying on my shoulder." She shrugged in a nonchalant manner, though it was all for naught since the only other person left in the room would not be able to see the gesture. "It's a good thing I kept some clothing around here that fits you, just means we can avoid the hassle of going out to shop. Besides, I seem to recall a pair of pajama pants that I bought you last Christmas that are extremely hot on you." Ren sighed internally, already able to feel the rampant hormones that came from month apart bubbling to the forefront. 'Slow down, girl. Give it a couple of days before jumping him.'

"I know this is a silly question, but are you hungry by any chance? I have not really gotten a chance to eat lunch yet and it would give us an excuse to have a pseudo date." Ren was rather adept at cooking, both due to self-teaching and numerous lessons from Ignis to refine said skillsets. "I happen to recall a certain dish of mine that you said you liked the last time we were together, if you ask nicely, I might be persuaded to make it." She teased as lips placed a placating kiss onto his temple before pulling back again. "I really did miss you, as much as I hate the circumstances for it, the alone time during your recovery might end up making me spoiled."​

 

[Sylveron]

Ignis tried his best not to sputter when he heard Cindy's voice, part of him dreadfully aware that he would have to be extra careful for a while until his senses became more in tune with the loss of his vision. "Honestly..." Ignis sighed before hearing the voice of Cid chime in on the subject, leaving him somewhat mortified, only to hear a promise of such activities at a later time from a whisper of Ren within his ear making his jaw unhinge itself for a moment. "Cindy, I do apologize you had to see such a thing, but, if it is any consolation when Prompto returns I'm sure he would be more than happy to let you experience such sensations. That is, of course, if you would be interested in such things. Granted, I would suggest you go easy on the poor chap, like his attention span, I fear he might quickly become overstimulated." Ignis replied before hearing a guttural laugh from Cid, knowing just exactly what Ignis was implying. "You kids know the rules, your private lives are your own business. Just do an old man a favor and keep it private, the last thing I need is to walk in on something and startle myself into an early grave." Cid added as he walked to a nearby table grabbing an apple. "Come on, Cindy, you'll have plenty of time to daydreamin while I help you." Cid added before grasping the girl's hand and leading her out like a child lost in thought.

Ignis waited until he could near no more movement before releasing a long sigh, his lips finding purchase on the offered cup once more before listening to Ren speak. Ignis had never been so enamored with the sound, but he was happy nonetheless that she was finding great enjoyment in having him there. "I would suggest perhaps speaking with Cid on the matter of the cane, I know he has helped us with fixing and upgrading weaponry in the past. As remiss as I am to admit it, I can't help but feel as though it would be appropriate for it to have combat applications. If anything, I wouldn't mind a cane that could expand into either a staff or even a polearm, but that would be after I get used to a basic cane and moving around." Ignis explained before feeling heat creep up his neck, knowing exactly what pair of pajamas she was mentioning. "As I recall, I barely had enough time to try them on before you were unwrapping what you called your 'present' at the time, Ren." Ignis replied before feeling the woman which he was resting upon squirm a little beneath him.

At the mention of food, it could be seen as divine intervention or simply his own body voicing his opinion as his stomach growled so loudly that Ignis could have sworn a Behemoth had somehow snuck within the room. It had indeed been some time since Ignis could recall eating a proper meal, perhaps not long before the battle that had removed his sight or maybe even longer. "I do believe my stomach has answered the question for both of us. I am famished and while I do enjoy a good cup of tea, as I recall, I haven't had anything to eat since before I was hurt." Ignis replied before feeling her kiss on his forehead and hearing her words of endearment. "I could think of no better place for me to recover, my dear. As to the question of food, I do believe a good meal is in order. If you would be so kind as to make your signature Hammerhead Meat Wraps, I'll be happy to teach you a new recipe that I learned during my travels." Ignis admitted before lifting himself to be seated once more, this time the muscles within his body not protesting the movement.

Reaching to his neck, Ignis loosened his tye before gently wrapping it around his head and covering his eyes. "It'll be better if I keep my eyes covered at the moment, if either of them ever decides to heal, the last thing I need to have happen is early exposure to anything that might damage them futher." Ignis explained before reaching over and feeling for Ren's hand, his fingers wrapping tightly around her hand. "If you don't mind, would you guide me over to the table? As long as I'm moving in short amounts, I should be fine now that I've had some rest." Ignis explained before feeling movement, his other hand being grasped as he was gently anchored so that he could stand. "I understand that you are worried, but I assure you I am alr-" Ignis started to say before lightly stumbling forward, his arms wrapping around her shoulders quickly to stabilize himself. "Alright." He muttered as he felt his forehead pressing against hers, a feeling he was very intimate with. "I'm right where I belong." Ignis added before moving his head down and pressing his lips against hers before gently pulling away.

"Now, before we get distracted, let's get to the table so we can manage a meal." Ignis explained before feeling her turn and begin to move, taking short steps and feeling the ground beneath his feet. Each step took less effort than the last, if anything, Ignis was quite sure he had been out far longer than he originally had anticipated for his body to feel so stiff. It was either that or he had simply never felt this in tune with his body before, perhaps this was due to the loss of his sight and his other senses compensating. Once the pair reached the table, Ignis' hands found purchase on the back of a chair. "Go ahead, I'll seat myself. The only way I'm going to learn is if I do it myself." Ignis explained before gently pulling the chair out from the table a few steps back, his left hand moving along the arm of the chair as his right reached to feel for the table. Finally situating himself between the two, his hands reached back to feel for the arms and gripped them, pulling the chair against his legs before lowering himself to take a seat. "This will take some time getting used to... Do let me know if I can help you with anything. I may not be able to see, but I should be able to do some menial tasks off of muscle memory."

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren honestly was not surprised when the mention of her wraps came into play, it was an obvious favorite and Ignis in particular was famous for requesting it. Apparently, her variant held a unique flavor that he had never quite been able to successfully replicate despite numerous attempts. She never understood it, the same ingredients were used and yet he always made a point to give praise. Despite the overwhelming urge to help him, somehow, she managed to stop short of touching his shoulder. He was right, after all. It would do him no good to rely solely on her assistance if he wanted some form of independence in the future. The tip of her finger pressed to her lips in silent thought, trying to think of something that Ignis could do that would not involve a knife or other potentially harmful instrument. Using the stove was absolutely out of the cards, afraid that he might end up misgauging simple distance and end up with a nasty burn to remind of the occasion. "Well, I'll need vegetables chopped up. As long as you are careful and feel it out, it might not be too difficult for you." Ren knew that for anyone else, this might be a tall order. Not so much for a seasoned chef in his own right, though. "Just - try to use one of the smaller knives so if you do manage to cut yourself the damage will be minimal."

It took a few minutes to unwrap the meat from the packaging, inspecting it to ensure that the cuts were relatively precise since even a smidge of grisly fat could ruin the entire mouthfeel of the wrap. At least where she was concerned but put the same plate in front of Ignis or Cid and it would be demolished all the same and not a scrap left behind to tell the tale. Small flames came out from the cooking surface and a pan was placed on top of it and allowed to be brought up to proper temperature. Too hot, it would crisp up and dry out and if left to dwell in the drizzle of oil too long would become practically tasteless and drenched in oil. Sizzling sounds followed promptly; a pair of metal tongs being used to flip the slices of meat around so that a crisp would develop but past that the meat would be allowed to be cooked at a relaxed simmer. She allowed her eyes to glance over the expanse of her shoulder to look in on Ignis, though his movements and finesse proved that the muscle memory he had spoken of was still very much in play. "Man, is there really nothing you cannot do when it comes to cooking? I imagined you might lose a step or two, but you make that look way too damn easy."

Ren went back to silently pouting at her boyfriend's prowess even when he was technically blind. If the roles were reversed, no doubt Ignis would have essentially wrapped her up in bubble wrap just to avoid her running into sharp corners. Hands were forced to reach up to procure the wraps in question, sometimes it sucked to be about three inches shorter than her coworkers and as such they rarely remembered to take her height into account. "I might actually have to invest in a stool after all." Ren blushed vividly after realizing she had voiced this thought out loud instead of letting it remain internal. "Not a word, Iggy." She bit these words through gnashed teeth, knowing that he might attempt a joke to lighten the mood, but the ashen blond was not keen on hearing it right now. She almost recalled the squeak that had been emitted the first time that Ignis had mentioned her smaller stature actually being a preference for him. "Here, I managed to fillet the fish and put it into the wraps, all we need is the diced vegetables for proper garnish."

She took the pile he had produced and succeeded in wrapping up four rather good-looking specimen, but she went a step further and allowed the expanse of her pinky to toy along his lower lip long enough to catch attention before bringing the wrap up for a bite in its stead. "Sorry, your body would no doubt revolt if I went any further. Be sure to finish it, even the vegetables." Ren appeared smug at the way he saw fit to actually pout, though no doubt he did not realize the reaction and it took longer to school back because of it. "Eat up, I'll go talk to Cid about your request. Something tells me I can help on the project too though, seeing as I had a hand in making my own weapon." She had planned to break that delicate news a bit better, but Ignis would find out about it sooner or later. Better that it came from Ren's own mouth then a possible blab from Cindy.

"Yes, I took up a class while you were away. Cid actually fashioned a proper sword for me, it's part of the reason I actually have muscle now. Not that you've seen the new definition. I know you were never exactly thrilled at the idea of me in a fight, but something tells me with you out of commission right now it might actually prove to be useful for all involved."​

 

[Sylveron]

To tell a competent cook, nay a trained chef to use a smaller knife... if it weren't for the fact that she was indeed trying to look after him, Ignis may have taken the recommendation as an insult. "I would use a smaller knife, but in all honesty, it would be detrimental to the process. Using a smaller knife means I'd need to use finer motor skills, whereas if I use a larger knife with which I'm more accustomed, I'll have better control." Ignis explained as he gently felt around the table for the handle of the knife with his right hand as he felt out the cutting board with his left, managing to feel out what he was sure was lettuce or cabbage, most likely cabbage as it paired so well with the meat used. Once his right hand found purchase on the handle of what he was sure was a cook's cleaver, he slowly reached out with his index finger to feel for the bezel and discern where the blade was positioned before turning the knife over so that the bladed edge was turned to his right. With the blade in the proper position, Ignis began stripping leaves from the head of cabbage, making sure to bend each one to break the connective fiber in the stalk at the center before building a small pile suitable for the meal in question and rolling them together tight lengthwise. Holding the roll tight with his left hand, he gripped the handle of the knife before slowly feeling out the placement of the knife against his knuckles with the blade resting against the rolled cabbage. With practiced precision, Ignis simply began humming as he started slow at first, running the length of the blade until he felt it reach the wood.

'I've got this.' Ignis mused before allowing himself to fall into a familiar cutting motion until he no longer felt the roughage beneath his left fingers. Using the edge of the blade, he gently scraped while using his left hand to bring all the shredded pieces into a pile before roughly chopping through them once more to bring the pieces to a more uniform size. The next project was an onion, it took longer for him to remove the dried-out skin than he would like, but after cutting the item in half it was only a matter of moments before he had it scored and diced. The last item in question was no doubt a form of bell pepper, knowing already what the item was he started by taking the knife and simply cutting off the bulbous flesh, leaving the veins and seed stem in place. Stacking the pieces he then scored through them before cutting them in a fine dice as well so that they could be mixed with the other vegetables. It was then he heard her mention of him not losing a step when cooking, something that brought a smile to his face. "Once you have done something for years, it is hard to forget the feeling even if you can't use your sight. While I can easily do prep work like this, I would still struggle with the actual cooking aspect. It is hard to judge just how close to done something is without being able to see. Granted, I could always tell if something was actually burnt or spoiled rather easily." He added with a small laugh.

Once his task was done, Ignis sat silently as he contemplated his current condition and what it would truly entail to get back to what he would deem as functional. As it was currently, he was rather sure that he would need a day or two rest for his body to get over the effects of the rampant potion usage during the last leg of his recent adventure. While potions were a godsend in regards to healing quickly from both major and minor wounds, you would still have to fight through the soreness of your body's recovery. Nothing aside from old-fashioned rest would work in that regard and Ignis knew this. At the mention of needing a stool, Ignis did his best to keep a laugh from exiting his throat, but it did not help. Her size had always been something that bothered her, though he had made it known through constant insistence that she was perfectly fine the way she was. After dealing with the teasing nature of Ren, Ignis had to bite back a sultry groan from his lips when the food finally hit his tongue, his mind instantly wrenched away from all previous thoughts as he focused on the vivid painting of various ingredients married together within his mouth. "Spectacular as always, Ren. Truly." Ignis commented before taking another bite, though this one was dimmed at the mention of her beginning training. Ignis was hard-pressed not to simply go with the machismo route of thought that he could protect her, but recent events had taught him otherwise.

"I admit, I am not sure if I'm more disappointed that you felt the need to have formal training or if I'm more disappointed in myself for even suggesting otherwise in the past." Ignis admitted after finishing his food, placing his hands in his lap as he leaned his head back in thought. "I can't think of someone better than Cid to teach you. Considering that he was once an engineer and weapons master for King Regis, I'm sure even in his old age he is a competent teacher." Ignis admitted as he heard a door open. "Damned straight. I may be an old fogey, but I still know my way around dishing out a dirt nap." Cid exclaimed as he walked inside, having smelled food being cooked from the ventilation hood atop the shop. "Granted, I think when the boys get back it would do her well to have Gladio spar against her. She needs to train with someone at their peak condition and that is sadly something I'm not able to do. The same could be said for Cindy, she could probably learn a thing or two from Prompto as far as marksmanship in battle is concerned... as long as the two of them don't get distracted that is." Cid added with a rough laugh. "I think you would need to worry more about Prompto in that regard, but if Gladio is there I'm sure he can keep the pups on a leash." Ignis added before hearing Cid laugh again.

"Truer words have never been said. That aside, I need Ren's help topside if we're gonna get some of the backlogged work knocked out. I came back inside to grab a bite, but I also found a wheelchair out in the storage closet of the garage. I figured we could make use of it until you have your legs back about ya. Some fresh air couldn't hurt and the heat is starting to die down outside." Cid explained as he wrapped a couple of the wraps in foil to take to Cindy. "I appreciate the offer, Cid and I'll take you up on it. I may be here to recover, but do let me know if I can help in any way." Ignis responded as Cid simply shook his head, even if Ignis couldn't see it. "There'll be none of that, boy. You've done enough and deserve some rest. Maybe once you get your bearings, but not a smidge of a moment before." Cid explained as Ignis slowly stood. "Well then, considering I can't eat another bite, if you'd be so kind as to lead me to the chair I can at least cheer you all on from the sidelines." Ignis stated as Cid walked over and placed Ignis' hand on his shoulder. "Let's get this young man upstairs, Ren. I'm sure Cindy is about ready to tear her hair out without you keeping her focused." Cid explained before they walked Ignis upstairs and settled him in the chair, taking the lead and pushing the chair while Ignis held the food in his lap as they went out to the garage.

"Why the hell isn't this piece of shit fittin up? I swear, I'm bout ready to just weld the damn thing together and pray it doesn't come apart!" Cindy yelled as the group rounded the corner to the entry bay of the garage, a loud and metallic thud echoing out thereafter as a flood of obscenities began cascading from inside that could very well make any seasoned veteran blush. "Alright, take a break before the damn thing breaks you. Ren made her wraps, get your hands cleaned up and eat before it gets cold." Cid yelled out to grab her attention. "Food? Wraps? I'm starrrrving." Cindy groaned out before quickly cleaning up and meeting the group at a workbench near the front of the garage. "I swear, this girl is a different animal when she's hungry. All manners and decorum out the damn window." Cid muttered as Ignis outright laughed. "You don't understand... I've been trying to get a damn bolt started for the past twenty minutes... it just wouldn't go in." Cindy growled. "Damned rotor came off twice without having the anchor bolt in place and nearly smashed my toes! Twice!" Cindy exclaimed as she unwrapped one of her wraps. "Did ya bother to check if it was one of them reverse-threaded numbers?" Cid asked before Cindy looked at him sheepishly. "No..." She replied only to have the man scoff. "Don't worry about it now, just finish your food then Ren'll help ya figure it out."

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren felt the way her face paled at the mere mention of Gladio's name, knowing that while Ignis was a dedicated instructor it went further for the other male. Some might even try to argue that he got a sort of kick out of making people cry, at least that was had been the running rumor going on a while back. "Are we sure I would be able to get out of that particular practice with all of my limbs still intact?" She appeared to be just shy of actual panic, even though such a notion was stupid and Gladio would never see fit to go all out and actually injure her. Though she was able to listen to Cid bickering about Cindy and her antics and that seemed to do the trick in calming her down, even getting her to laugh at one point at the notion of what was likely a very hangry Cindy. "Well, it is after lunch time and she is not too good at cooking herself, so of course she would be hungry by now." Ren pointed this out before turning to look at Cid, noting the almost bereft look he carried. "Another example of the reason you put up with me, because without me the two of you would be forced to spend even more gil to get food delivered."

While they were seen as expert in the field of machinery and even crafting weapons, the simple acts such as baking and cooking were lost to the two. Meanwhile, that was a facet that Ren had excelled in and being with Ignis had only improved it over the past couple of years. She smiled at the small little victory of leaving the grizzled mechanic temporarily speechless, choosing to walk ahead of the group to make sure that Cindy had not injured herself or damaged anything else with no adult supervision. She barely avoided some of the free-falling parts that came down when Cindy threw a bit of a tantrum on the spot, her own eyebrows arching up in surprise at the vocabulary being used. 'Whoa, it is exceedingly rare for her to be this pissed off.' Ren made sure that Ignis was secured and set up before walking over to personally inspect the bolt in question, kneeling down onto the ground instead of bending over because the imagery would not do her boyfriend any personal favors. Her right hand reaching out to grab onto the discarded rotor, able to tell from the get-go that it was a reverse thread but chose to bite back any comments for now. "Finish eating Cindy, I'll try and get this started for you."

Her shirt and jean shorts were practically covered with grease not even five minutes later, a once rather pristine outfit being soiled due to the hazards of mechanic work. Though Ren was used to it by now, hell a part of her even enjoyed the act of putting stuff together with her own two hands. It was similar to cooking, the right amount of pressure, ingenuity and elbow grease was usually enough to overcome any and all obstacles. Her tongue poked out of the side as if her concentration on the task at hand was being assisted by the action, yet another one of her personal quirks that she was told happened to be adorable. "Cid was right, it's a reverse thread alright. I should have managed to get it started for you at least. Maybe next time, make sure you are turning it the right way?" Ren started quietly snickering to herself as the flood gates were threatening to break open at any second now. She even noticed that Cid was trying and failing miserably to maintain a schooled look on his features to appease Cindy's wrath. "Oh hush, you little bitch!" Cindy snorted loudly while throwing the balled-up foil and ensuring that it smacked off the side of Ren's head much to her satisfaction.

Cindy polished off her second wrap and for the time being looked to be satiated, even going so far as to lick her lip to make sure nothing would be left behind. "Alright, now that you've given me a start it should be right simple to fix." Ren stayed behind to provide Cindy with proper support, even going so far as to make a suggestion if the sandy blond got into such a rush that she managed to miss a step. Both girls were all but giggling by the end of it all, each an absolute mess of sweat and grease that left patches on their faces, stomach and even legs. Cid frowned a little at this, though he could not exactly say much about them goofing off as long as the jobs got done. "Now, since we have avoided that little crisis, I think I am going to see about possibly washing up for now. Not sure about you, but I am not keen on napping in my newly washed sheets and leaving stains behind." Ren mostly wanted the excuse to check back up on Ignis and his condition, by now they had been sitting outside for going on about two hours and she did not want him to become too hot and risk dehydration. The female disappeared for about two minutes, coming back out of the front door with two bottles of water before handing one off to Ignis. "Here, drink up. Last thing we need is to have you faint on me again."​

 

[Sylveron]

Ignis was rather sure that if it weren't for Ren being around at this point Cid would be up to his armpits in backlogged work while Cindy's anger would simply cause more in the long run. It was funny to him how he and his friends had always compared Prompto and Cindy, but spending time with the group at the garage only cemented that the two were indeed birds of a feather. While Ren and Cindy went about their work, Ignis took that moment to garner the attention of Cid who was now slowly eating his second wrap, trying his best not to outright laugh at the antics of the girls. "Something tells me I would love to be able to see what is going on right now." Ignis muttered before hearing Cid cough. "I could tell you, but it wouldn't do it any justice." Cid stated as he watched the two work. "So true. I do need to speak with you about something. I wanted to ask if you could do a few modifications to my polearm. While my preference is with knives or daggers... In my current state, it wouldn't be suitable to use them." Ignis explained as the elderly man took a deep breath. "No kidding, ya can barely walk around, much less connect a blade with vitals. Muscle memory only goes so far." Cid replied as Ignis nodded.

"I was talking to Ren about it, but since I'm already proficient in using a polearm, I was wondering if you could fashion one with a hollow core. Perhaps a retractable blade as well, so that it can be concealed and double as a walking implement or blunt weapon as well." Ignis explained while sitting at the workbench. "What you're talking about could be tricky. If it has a hollow core, you'll be taking most of the heft out of the weapon and lowering its ability to penetrate when thrusting or if thrown. It'll cut a lot better with the weight focusing on the blade itself, but even with the blade hidden, the sound and feel of the tip won't resonate through the handle like an ordinary staff or cane." Cid replied as he went over the idea in his head. "I hadn't thought about that." Ignis admitted as Cid chuckled, the sound of a wrench hitting the floor and Cindy's flustered scream echoing in the garage. "If we did this, I'd suggest using a heavier material for the shaft itself and maybe Mithril or something light for the blade portion. You would need a mechanism to extend or retract the blade." Cid added in afterthought before realizing the girls had finished their work and Ren had come back with a bottle of water for Ignis.

"Such a precious gem, thank you Darling." Ignis praised as he felt the bottle of water placed in his hands, pulling the top to open the spout and take a drink. "We were just talkin' about making your boyfriend here a fancy walkin' stick. I'm thinkin' somethin' like a spike-tip spear, but with Mithril blades that can extend or retract... kinda like an expanding broadhead for an arrow." Cid explained as Ignis nodded. "I like that idea. The tricky part will be the mechanism that moves the blades in or out, making sure they lock in place and can withstand impact." Ignis stated after taking a drink. "Eh, I'm sure we can figure somethin' out, don't ya think, Ren?" Cid asked before looking back toward Cindy who was currently putting tools away. "We can work out the specifics later. Why don't y'all go ahead and get settled in? I'll help Cindy put everything away and lock up for the night. The last thing we want or need is to be out after dark, seems like the Daemons are getting restless lately." Cid suggested as Ignis leaned his head back, knowing Ren was behind him. "Alright, princess. Let's head inside." Ignis suggested before feeling the wheelchair move.

Once inside, Ignis was patient as she helped him from the chair and led him down the stairs, counting each step as they did so, committing the number in memory. "So, about that shower. Would it be too much to ask if you could help me take a warm bath after your shower? I'm rather sure my current attire needs cleaned and I would rather not put something on without being clean myself." A small hit to his pride in grooming aside, Ignis knew that a warm bath would help to ease away the tension in his muscles. "Not to mention, as unpleasant as it will be, I'll need help cleaning the areas that are scarring over and I won't be able to see if I've done it properly." Ignis admitted as he felt her stop to open a door and lead him inside to her bed where he sat down. His hands moved up to remove his tye from his eyes, his fingers then moving down to take off his vest and then unbutton the first few buttons on his shirt. "Brace yourself, I'm not sure how much you got to see when the guys brought me here, but it isn't just my face." Ignis explained as he opened he finished taking loose the buttons and opening the top of his shirt and allowing it to expose the extensive burnt in scars along the left side of his chest and arm as he turned his head toward her direction.

Scars

​

 

[Astral Rayne]

Following behind him was easy enough, considering that he could only move as fast as she managed to push him. She had to struggle to maneuver him out of the chair initially, thankful that Ignis still possessed a modicum of strength otherwise the two of them would be having issues. A quiet tune was being hummed below her breath, a sort of lullaby that had come to mind a lot lately, one of the very few instances that Ren permitted her mother to remain in her memories. She went about turning on the shower head, though his next question gave her pause. Did he honestly believe his own care and personal hygiene to be an inconvenience to her? Ren frowned, bending down at the waist and kneeling on both knees in front of him, raising a hand to bring his face to her own regardless of if he could see the action or not. "I promised to take care of you, and I will. That definitely includes making sure you do not stink to high heavens. Now, just sit here and wait until I get my shower done. Lucky for you, I did not manage to get too greasy today so the time spent will be minimal." Ren placed a soft kiss along his temple, watching as he appeared to flinch as if not expecting the gesture. "Part of me likes having you like this, if not just for the reactions I can get since you never anticipate my next action." Ren stood back and watched as Ignis took to the act of undoing the buttons of his shirt, somehow holding in a horrified gasp as his newly forming scars were now fully bare to both the steamy air and her gaze alike. "Oh, my sweet knight."

Ren chose to cut herself off after uttering the familiar nickname, afraid that if she attempted to go further, she might lose whatever composure remained. Blond and black streaks of hair clung to now wet skin as she stepped under the heated spray, occasionally finding herself looking over her shoulder to see the silhouette behind the curtain. A fragrance of a woodsy variety filled the space of the bathroom, something that Ignis would be able to instantly recognize as being her preferred shampoo. Ren disliked most of the more overbearing flowers, and instead gravitated towards a blend of herbals and nature in general. Bare feet shuffled around in the pool of water that now resided at the bottom of the tub, giggling akin to a small child. One hand was used to carefully wring the excess water from her hair, even though the locks stopped just beyond her shoulders the thickness of it tended to be the annoying part of maintenance. "I do believe it is your turn now, dear sir. Let's get you out of the rest of your clothes." Ren belatedly knew that laundry would be on her horizon, not that she could hold it against him since as it stood his activities were gravely limited. She chose to forgo getting dressed, somehow sure that between the pair it could only result in a newly soaked garment both due to her clumsy nature and Ignis unconsciously flailing.

She managed to loosely wrap a towel around her frame before assisting Ignis into the now filled tub, making sure that the temperature inside was not too hot simply because putting such scalding temperature to a fresh scar would only aggravate the wound. Ren bit her lower lip as she unconsciously traced over some of the jagged lines, tears once again threatening to break through her carefully crafted facade. "Gods, they look like they hurt." Her words came out trembled, as if unsure if even voicing it was proper. A hand came up to dump a filled cup of water onto his hair, using the other to run through the locks in an effort to get rid of any blood or grime that clung to it. He would be out of commission for at least a month or two, that was no doubt. Heartbeat began to grow faster as hands saw fit to wander in a manner that was intimately familiar, very much aware of the mindset she was in but hesitating because of the idea that it might hurt him. Ren's hand hovered just above his lap, knowing that the area would need to be cleaned but the action could easily lead to so much more if the couple were not careful.

"Don't hold this against me, after all this part needs to be cleaned too." Ren proceeded to gingerly grasp around his submerged girth, noting the shivers that were produced. Thumb toying along the underside of the helmet, knowing for a fact that was a sensitive spot for most men and Ignis was no different. "Your choice, do you want me to continue or just finish my task and we call it a night?" Ren would leave the decision up to him, mostly because she did not know just how much energy reserve was in his tank at the moment and if he fainted trying to cart a deadweight boyfriend to her bedroom was not an appealing start to the evening. "I hold no expectations; this is all up to you right now."​

 

[Sylveron]

Upon the reaction of Ren, Ignis could deduce that he had indeed suffered sufficient scarring from using the Ring of Luci. He knew that his eyes no longer worked, but upon hearing her voice and how it quivered when she spoke, he was now certain that he indeed carried scars from that battle that would linger for the rest of his life. As he waited for her to finish cleaning herself, Ignis silently meditated to center himself and truly accept his current physical state and the impediments that it had brought with it. Many of the issues stemming from his current disability were able to be worked around, but the loss of his total sight was something that would take months if not years to regain function as he once had it. 'Perhaps once the guys get back we can figure out a way to fast-track things... I just hope that they don't do anything brash.' Ignis thought before hearing the shower stop and the faucet to the tub open. As he heard her voice, Ignis found himself slowly rising to his feet before feeling her help him to undress, choosing not to voice anything as she slowly led him to the tub. Once beside the tub, Ignis slowly stepped to his left, putting his left foot in first as he used Ren's shoulders to steady himself and step in with the right. Moving his hands, he reached for a handle he knew was on the inside of the tub before lowering himself in.

Once settled, Ignis leaned back for a moment as he felt the warmth of the water wash over him, his head turning toward Ren as she voiced her concerns. "Thankfully, although a bit sensitive, it isn't that bad. I would guess that the searing pain I felt at the time was considered part of the penance for using the ring. I do know that after things were finished, I was in so much pain... After I was sure Noct was safe, I fainted and didn't wake up until after we arrived here." Ignis explained before feeling water rush over him, making him sputter out of surprise. "Ren... A little warning, please." Ignis stated before feeling her combing her fingers through his hair, making sure it was clean before focusing on the rest. "The sensitivity should lessen over time-" Ignis had started to explain before hearing her speak and having whatever train of thought going through his mind thoroughly derail. His body shuddered as he inhaled a sharp breath only to release a moan more akin to a growl as he felt her fingertips glide along his length which caused the muscles within his core and thighs to clench. Ignis knew that he would be pushing his limits, but at the same moment, he couldn't deny that in his current state, it would be far more frustrating not to do something to take the edge off.

"I'm afraid that if you stop now, neither of us will be able to sleep. I can hear the change in your breathing, each breath is alternating between deep and shallow. We've been throwing around innuendo all evening..." Ignis explained through bated breaths, his right hand moving forward as he traced along her left arm up to her shoulder, his fingertips dancing across her collarbone before resting his fingers beneath her chin and cupping it as he traced over her lips with his thumb. "Darling... help me to the bed... I'd rather be in bed if I end up going too far so that you don't have to drag me in there." Ignis explained before pulling his legs back as he moved his arms to grasp the bar on the inside of the tub, lifting himself from the water before reaching and finding her shoulders, using her to steady himself as he stepped out of the shower. "It might be proper to dry me off first." Ignis added in afterthought before feeling a towel be thrown over his face. "I should have seen that coming..." Ignis stated while laughing at the irony of the statement, his hands gripping the towel as he used it to dry himself off before discarding it on the floor.

Feeling with his hands and taking small steps, Ignis slowly made his way back into the bedroom proper, knowing full well by the sound of cloth hitting the floor and springs creaking that Ren had already made her way there. Each step brought him closer until he felt something press against his chest, his hands reaching up as he glided his fingers over soft skin, inching closer and closer until he felt what was pressing against him. "Perhaps I've been a bit too flippant concerning the intimate aspect of our relationship. Something I shall have to remedy, hmm?" Ignis asked as he gripped gently around her ankle with his right hand, moving it away and lifting as he put his left hand on the edge of the bed, his head turning to the side as his lips gently trailed kisses down her left leg, his teeth nipping against the skin as he transitioned past her knee to her inner thigh. "Considering there was no dessert with our meal, I believe I'll treat myself to the sweetest thing I've ever tasted." Ignis huskily whispered just before his lips caressed her nectar-soaked petals, his teeth gently tugging against each one before using his thumbs to make her flower bloom.

"Now... let us see just how well I remember the little nooks and crannies of your delicious little cunt." Ignis cooed as he lay on his stomach, his long fingers wrapping around her inner thighs, fingernails biting against her skin as he pressed his tongue flat between her folds and slowly dragged upward. Just as he reached the precipice, the tip of his tongue slowly swirled around the little pearl hidden beneath a hood of flesh, his lips soon after circling it, suckling against it greedily as he lashed the tip of his tongue over it. "Mmm..." He growled, allowing the vibrations to muffle against her clit nestled between his lips, his thumbs slipping down and pressing into her, alternating thrusts between his thumbs to stimulate her more as he roughly pulled his lips away. "I didn't think you would miss me this much. Do I need to tame my feisty little coeurl kitten all over again?" Ignis asked as he pulled his left arm back, slipping it beneath her right hip before gripping her right breast, fingernails finding purchase on her skin as he pulled his thumb from his right hand from within her. "Let us see just how quickly I make my kitten purr, hmm?" Ignis goaded as he lazily lashed his tongue over her folds, his right-hand maneuvering so that his palm faced upward as he pressed his middle and ring fingers to knuckle deep inside, fingertips dancing as he thrust his fingers within her, adding pressure upward as he renewed his assault with his tongue, pressing down against the hood covering her clit, alternating clockwise and counter-clockwise motions with his tongue rapidly.

 

[Astral Rayne]

She did not honestly expect for him to take her up on the offer, mostly because between the two of them Ignis tended to have the sense of reason. Far be it for her to deny him, though. Somehow Ren made it into the bedroom and managed to shake free of her clothes meanwhile her boyfriend was attempting to commit each step to memory for later. His memory would be the difference between success and ending up with the possibility of a bloody nose. An eyebrow raised as she noted the calculating manner he used to approach, as if gaining sufficient sense of the room around him and that confidence he was so well known for coming back to the surface. Ren fought back the urge to balk at the manner to which he had all but leaned down against the bed and was toying across somewhat damp skin fresh from the shower. Not having the use of his eyes would not be a great disadvantage for him, the blond was proving this firsthand. "Only you could end up losing your eyesight and somehow becoming even more adept in the process." She groused out loud, though any other playful jab she had in mind was swiftly forgotten as his tongue came into contact with her folds. "As if - Hngh - not missing you was ever an option. Fuck!"

Ren could feel a familiar tightening taking place within her core, it felt akin to physical electricity and each shock dwarfed the one preceding it. She somehow managed to laugh at his little quip, of course he would be able to find a suitable beast to compare her to that would be endearing instead of an outright insult. But her mind was preoccupied shortly after, hands running up and down the expanse of her torso before settling on pert breasts that by now were topped with swollen nipples. This brought the woman back to one of their first times together, the absolute ferocity that came from the passion finally exploding. Throat muscles tightened as she could undoubtedly feel a pressure building, though instead of simply giving in right away the female chose to relish in the sensation a little longer. 'If he keeps this up, I am going to embarrass myself and cum way too soon.' Ren had a thing called pride, and to allow Ignis to just rip the orgasm from her was something that she simply could not allow to happen.

Strangled whimpers were mostly kept at bay, a skill she had learned through personal research as a means of making him work that much harder to achieve a desired reaction. The two tended to play this sort of game, a battle of the wills. Her back suddenly lifting off the bed as his fingers managed to brush against a sensitive spot, the action causing toes to curl downward and leg muscles to tighten in kind. Breasts heaved violently as she could distinctly feel that telltale pleasure sizzling in the back of her brain, though instead of attempting to pull away one of her hands reached down to grab loosely onto his hair and pull Ignis that much closer. Ren somehow managed to remember that he had injuries to be mindful of, instead gingerly humping across his mouth to ride out the duration of the orgasm being ripped from her body. By now, both inner thighs were drenched and even some of that was visible when she pulled Ignis free and got to look at his face properly.

"I do believe you made a mess of your so-called dessert, my love. You always could be a sloppy eater." Ren teased in jest, carefully allowing her thumb to run across the expanse of his jaw and ridding him of any remnants of fluid that still clung there. "Now, I do believe we will have to let me be the one in control because exerting yourself too much is sure to cause you to pass out not even halfway through. So, you just come here and sit on the edge of the bed. Let me take care of you this time." Normally he would be the one to take control of the situation, but Ignis was lucky to still be conscious at this point. It was best not to push it. Ren helped him into a seated position on the edge of the bed, able to assist in making sure he was comfortable before positioning his girth between swollen folds and sitting down promptly. She did not give him too much time to adjust to the newfound sensation, instead her impatience saw hips rocking back and forth in a haphazard mannerism that had her gasping for oxygen. "Gods, I just managed to thrust down and already I could cum again!" Ren pouted a little at this, thinking it a tad unfair just how easy it could be for Ignis to make her body outright swoon and become obedient. Sure enough, not even couple of minutes later saw her body seizing in mid slam, internal muscles squeezing and conforming to his cock even as the slaps of skin-on-skin contact became deafening. Nails scratched lightly up and down the expanse of his back, hips just shy of smacking down onto his lap each time gravity took over.​

 

[Sylveron]

A grin graced Ignis' face when Ren saw fit to pull him away, her mention of him being a messy eater only making him laugh in reply before feeling her fingers run along his jaw. "To be fair, while eating a meal with a group, it is considered ill-mannered to play with your food. Times such as these though, I believe it would be bad manners not to." Ignis replied as he acquiesced to her request and with her help, moved his body away from hers and brought himself to sit at the edge of the bed. In the scant few moments he had without stimulation, Ignis managed to take a few deep and calming breaths, noting that his body was indeed nearing the point of exhaustion once more. 'Sadly, we won't be able to go all out like we usually would. It will help take the edge off for a little while, I suppose.' Ignis thought before feeling Ren's knees glance against his thighs, his arms reaching out and cradling her lower back as he felt her guide the tip of his adamantine-hard length into her sopping wet core. His fingernails found purchase on the skin of her back as she dropped her hips, drilling his throbbing cock deep inside her undoubtedly creamy cunt. Her admission of nearing orgasmic bliss from simply feeling him inside spurred Ignis into action, curling his arms behind her back to grip with his hands between her shoulder and neck on either side, pulling her body down and adding to the force of each slam of her hips.

Ignis relished in the moans and groans flowing freely from her lips, the notes playing out like a symphony in his ears. As he felt her body quiver within his arms upon reaching release, Ignis couldn't help but lean his neck forward, caressing her skin with soft kisses along her breastbone and neck muffling the hiss that exited his throat when her nails found purchase against his back. "You missed me quite dearly, didn't you Ren? I've been such an inattentive suitor..." Ignis growled out as he dragged his nails down over her shoulders and back, sure that if he could see there would be red welts left in their wake. As his hands met the small of her back, he slid them back to her sides at the juncture between her sides and hips, gripping tight as he began aiding her riding, slamming her down from tip to base, stretching out her insides so that she would easily remember every bulging vein, bump, and ridge along its length. Ignis fought his way through the exhaustion, moans intermingling with harsh pants for breath as he began using the springs of the bed to thrust his hips upward into each pull-down, occasionally stopping to make her grind along his length as his lips met with hers, his teeth nipping against her bottom lip and pulling.

"I fear I'm near my end, kitten... I dare say that this particular reunion requires something special... A spectacular finish. Wouldn't you agree?" Ignis asked between bated breaths, his hands slipping down to grip beneath her knees as he quickly rolled the pair over, pinning her hard against the bed as he forced himself near his breaking point to drill rapid, deep, and powerful thrusts into her tight little pussy, his thighs and legs clenched, threatening to cramp up completely as he finally felt himself come undone, driving one last thrust home as a low moan reverberated within the room, his back arching, forcing his hips to press deeper signaling his release. "FUCK!" Ignis growled out, his strength finally spent as his neck lowered, his lower back and thighs cramping and sending sharp, stabbing pains through his nerves as he forced himself to uncouple from Ren and roll off to the side. He squirmed for a few moments before the cramping subsided, a subdued chuckle leaving his lips to signal to Ren that he would be okay, already hearing her inquire if he needed something. "Ha... I'll be fine... Just pushed myself a little too much, all things considered." Ignis admitted before finally feeling his body relax.

"While I probably should have waited a few days, it was nigh on impossible to resist the temptation that is you, Ren." Ignis stated, his voice now hoarse and nearly a whisper, feeling as she crawled into a proper position on the bed before he maneuvered himself beneath the covers to join her. "Admit it, if we hadn't done this now, I'd have likely been tortured by the sounds of you taking matters into your own hands at some point in the night, likely under the ruse of needing to go to the bathroom." Ignis cheekily prodded as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "It will take some time, but after this, I'm quite sure I will be back in top form quite quickly." Ignis explained as he conformed his body against her own, his chest pressing firmly against her back as he rested his chin atop her head. "With you by my side, I have no doubts in that at all." Ignis added before placing a gentle kiss atop the crown of her head. "Good night, princess. Sweet dreams."

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren felt breathless as each grind downward appeared to take much more exertion than the last. It was like the passion sparking between the pair caused each action to become more tangible, those very same sparks running up and down her spine continuously. Teeth biting into a pliant lower lip enough to draw actual blood as she felt him clench so hard that the inevitable cramp that followed afterwards did not surprise her in the least. Breath leaving her in an audible hiss as the torturous arousal from before had begun to ebb until all that was left was a contentment and tingly warmth. Her head allowed to lean against his shoulder as they tried to come back to the present, she even took to reaching down and applying pressure to both of his thighs and legs to try and calm the muscles trying to cramp up. 'He will definitely require physical therapy, the easier method being if I took him to the nearby lake and allowed him to use the water to lessen the impact at first.' Ren found herself being brought back to the present relatively quick, pulling herself up onto the bed and curling onto her side shortly after. A part of her felt spoiled at the weight and heat that splayed across her back, too many nights had been spent missing him and to have Ignis back was both soothing and bittersweet due to the circumstances that caused it. "Good night, try to get some proper sleep for once."

Eyelids felt heavy as she tried in vain to snuggle back up to the body laying prone behind her, an effort to ignore the noises that were taking place outside of the nearby window. One eye finally saw fit to open albeit sluggishly, noting the bits of sunlight that poked through the blinds and created a modest light array on the wall across from the bed. No doubt the ruckus outside was either Cindy or Cid trying to take care of something before the true heat started to settle in. She sat up in the bed, allowing both arms to stretch up and above her head with a yawn. Ren carefully removed herself from the bed without waking a sleeping Ignis, content to allow him a proper sleep without interruption since it would be vital for his body to heal properly. The next item on the agenda would be breakfast, no doubt the smell of that and perhaps coffee would be enough to wake him up naturally. Ignis was nothing if not a creature of habit and routine. One of the first ideas popping into her brain was a pastry dubbed Memory Lane that he had made mention of before, and it just so happened that a majority of the ingredients required were stocked in the fridge.

Rolling out the dough properly to assemble each tart was a taxing effort, but something told her the gesture would be worth it in the end if not to see the look on his face. Each pastry being spooned full of a mixture of fresh berries, though she had only managed to find blueberries and some raspberries since strawberries were not a fan favorite among Cindy or Cid. That was how Cid had found her, bent over the nearby table and meticulously assembled around two dozen tarts before putting them into the oven to bake. "Smells good, trying to cook up a kind of bribe?" Ren sighed playfully at this, knowing that the gruff older man liked to find at least something to tease her about to start the day off right. "Not quite, it was just something Ignis had mentioned in one of his letters and I wanted to try my hand at making them. Though, due to the amount of sugar it contains lunch might end up being a bit lighter." She remarked while making a scrunched-up face at the suggestion, not being a particular fan of counting calories or restricting herself to certain foods. "Go ahead and finish up the job, I'll be sure to fetch you and Cindy when they are done."

Ren found herself humming a tune again as she bustled around the kitchen, able to brew up a fresh pot of coffee and put the finishing touches on the pastries after allowing them to cool. She tried her best not to outright drool at the sight, each one had developed a golden crust and flake that would definitely make her boyfriend proud. Now all that was left to do was to see if the other two needed her help while waiting for sleeping beauty to arise from his chambers. 'No doubt it has been some time since he got a chance to sleep in, I'll let him enjoy it.'​

 

[Sylveron]

Ignis had no bearing on the time when he had finally risen from the death-like grasp of sleep, his arms splaying out gently as he felt for Ren nearby. 'I do believe she's already awake-' Ignis thought for a moment before a most heavenly scent filled his nostrils, notes of char and earthiness that brought the man from a sleepy haze to outright energized. For a moment, Ignis groaned while hoisting himself up and into a seated position, his body stiff and protesting any sort of movement. "Pushed yourself a bit too hard, chap." Ignis muttered aloud to himself before scooting himself to the edge of the bed, his feet touching the cool floor before he pushed himself up to stand. "I do believe a bit of cardio and calisthenics are in order." Ignis added in thought before placing his hands on his hips and widening his stance before leaning back with his upper body and producing an audible, yet satisfying pop. "Sweet Aeons above, that's the ticket." Ignis groaned as he felt the tension within his back subside before moving his hands out in front of him, leaning forward and then down with his upper body, stretching until his hands pressed flat against the floor.

A few moments later, Ignis righted himself and stood tall before spreading his legs wide, leaning to each side and holding it for a few moments before returning to neutral. After he was satisfied with the limberness within his muscles, Ignis straightened himself and began to do a series of jumping jacks, just before hearing the door open. "Uhm..." Ignis heard as he quickly felt around for a moment to find a quilt from the bed behind him to cover himself before realizing it was already futile. "Good Morning, Cindy... at least I presume it's morning. Can I help you?" Ignis asked as the girl continued to stammer for a moment before she quickly turned and pulled the door near shut behind her. 'Ren is so gonna razz me over this...' Cindy internally groaned before finally speaking. "Eh, it's closer to noon, but... Good mornin'... Ren asked me to look in on ya, guess I shoulda knocked first, huh?" Cindy asked with her embarrassment evident in her voice. "That would have indeed been the proper thing to do. I would have gotten dressed, but it is quite hard to find clothing without being able to see." Ignis admitted rather bluntly before sitting back down on the bed, allowing himself a small reprieve as he finally found the discarded blanket behind him and covered himself.

"True... I'll go get Ren... Have her come help..." Cindy muttered before Ignis laughed. "No, don't bother her. Come on in, there should be some clothing in the bureau. I've covered myself up." Ignis explained before he heard the door slowly open, the girl wasting no time to go and grab a set of grey sweatpants and a matching tank top. "Here ya go... I'mma go tell Ren that you're at least awake." Cindy quickly spewed out, setting the clothes down on his lap before rapidly running away and slamming the door. Ignis couldn't help laughing aloud before feeling the clothing on his lap, making out which piece he was handling before first putting on the shirt and then the pants after removing the quilt from his lap. It had taken a little bit to make sure he at least had them on the proper way, but thankfully the tags hadn't been ripped. Once properly dressed, Ignis haphazardly made his way out of the room and followed his nose, his hands feeling along the walls before making his way to the kitchen. After finding a chair, Ignis pulled it out before clearing his mind, trying to recall the layout of the room from memory.

'Should be able to at least pour a cup of Ebony while I wait...' Ignis thought before turning to his right, his hands feeling out in front of him before reaching a counter. Gently he moved his hands along the smooth countertop until he finally felt metal. "Aha!" Ignis exclaimed before raising his hand and feeling the warm glass, the tips of his fingers brushing over it before finding the handle of the coffee pot. Next, he felt with his left hand, reaching upward to the cupboard where coffee mugs were kept. His fingers were deft as he gently pulled against a handle, bringing it free and thankfully not pulling another mug with it. After bringing the mug down to the counter, he reached up and closed the cupboard before feeling out the mug once more and moving it closer to the coffee pot now in his right hand. 'Now... to fill the cup.' Ignis mentally muttered as he lifted the cup to meet the coffee pot, his fingertip feeling out the spout before guiding the cup and pot to begin filling the cup. Using the tip of his left index finger as a fill measure. Ignis waited until he felt the hot liquid kiss the tip of his finger before shakily lowering the coffee pot, opting to not attempt to replace it on the hot plate and placing it on the counter.

"How long have you been watching me?" Ignis asked after finally hearing a short clearing of Ren's throat. "Actually... I probably don't want to know..." Ignis added as he gently turned around, using his free hand to feel out in front of him until reaching the chair he had moved, placing his cup of coffee on the table as he sat down. "I realize I'm being a bit adventurous, but... You will be happy to know that I didn't burn myself and I have at least managed to pour myself a cup." Ignis voiced, seemingly preening over his latest conquest, his hands wrapping gently around the cup and enjoying its warmth. "I do apologize if I worried you, granted I'm sure you would have stopped me if I had managed to burn myself." Ignis explained before lifting the cup to his mouth and testing the heat with his lip before taking a sip. "Ahhhh... Nothing beats a good cup after waking. Is Cindy okay? The poor girl walked in right as I was doing my morning exercise. I feared she was going to faint before making it out to the garage with how utterly shocked she was." Ignis remarked before taking another drink. "And before you ask, yes, I did stretch." Ignis added as he heard her busy herself in the kitchen.

"I think I would like to attempt taking a short stroll today, just to stave off any atrophy. Unless Cid has too much work to let you take a break, I was thinking we could go after I've eaten? I could smell the coffee and food before I even got out of bed and my stomach feels as if it could eat itself." Ignis admitted as he placed the cup back down on the table after another drink. "I will need help finding my shoes though... I really will have to be mindful of where I place things so that I can find them more easily. You never realize just how much you take something for granted until it is gone... While I typically thrive on keeping things tidy and organized, I do believe I will have to come up with a new system... Another thing that you and I could perhaps work on together, after our walk and any other work that you may have."

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren found herself infinitely amused watching as Ignis attempted to do something on his own, and instead of interfering she chose to watch from nearby and allow the grown man to make a possible mistake. Barring any kind of burning or serious injury involved his independence would be a saving grace for him. She almost managed to spit out the mouthful of coffee in her mouth at the mention of Cindy witnessing that kind of thing. That poor thing, not even two days at the garage and Ignis had undoubtedly managed to mentally scar the girl in more ways than just one. Somehow at the last second, a harsh gulp sounded out and it was a fight not to choke. "I think we might need to find some kind of way to thank Cindy for not just freaking out at this point. These might be a start to that." She noted while picking up a tart and turning it around in her fingers, pleased that none of it managed to get too browned and instead was an even golden in coating. "I think a walk would work; I still haven't asked too much about what else you've been up to in the past few months. Plenty of time to reminisce and all that." She went about the act of grabbing a plate and putting two of the tarts onto it, noting that from the incessant growling coming from his stomach now it was likely that he was famished. "We can find your shoes after you manage to finish breakfast, don't worry it is nothing nasty. I think by now I know what you do and don't like." Though, with his eyesight gone being able to play tiny pranks on him now and then would be an absolute cinch to pull off.

"It's that one recipe you sent me I think two months back. First time attempting it, and I will say at least nothing burned." Ren brought her pinky finger up to her lips to suck off the little bit of jam that managed to splotch across the skin before setting the plate down. "They are quite messy, though. It's luck alone that I didn't manage to trash Cid's kitchen this morning." She stilled at the nearby grunt from Cid, not even aware the older man was still in the room with them apart from the noise. "Oh, it was a figure of speech!" Ren remarked with a laugh, turning around and taking a seat to the left of Ignis since without sight it would be easier to assist him in eating until he could properly gauge the distance from the table to his mouth. Fewer incidents and messes would happen if they just chose to be diligent instead. Ren. The blonde took turns feeding him a bite before she would take one in turn, relishing in the burst of flavor that immediately assaulted her senses. "I swear, one of these days you will need to let me look at that recipe book of yours again. I know, I know, you are picky about who gets to see it but. Well, who else is going to be cooking your meals?" Ren felt herself becoming quite cheeky at the moment, even to the point that the tip of her tongue was sticking out. "Those walks might be a blessing, because if you eat like you used to you might end up gaining a bit of weight on me." She snickered quietly, standing up and bending over to place a placating kiss to his brow. "Hell, you'd still be handsome as ever even if you did."

After finishing her own tarts, she excused herself to go in search of his previously discarded shoes. A soft grunt escaping from her as she brought them back to the table, kneeling down onto both knees and taking to the task of putting the shoes on their proper foot. It was hilarious to note the way Ignis became instantly startled at the first touch to his sock clad foot, and it left her with no choice but to actively tickle the side of one foot as a means of lightening the mood. "You do have eyes; they just so happen to be attached to me." Ren finished tying off one shoe before switching to the other, having to stop a giggle at the way Cindy entered and almost immediately her face took on the hue of a ripened tomato. "Good morning, Cindy. Do I have to start charging a fee for looking at my boyfriend? I am sure we could work something out." Cindy squeaked outwardly at the taunt from Ren, huffing while reaching onto the plate on the counter and all but shoving a tart between her lips. Ren swore up and down she heard a muffled 'you bitch' between chewing noises from the taller blond. "Don't worry, we're going out for a bit, so you'll have the shop to yourself. I think we'll end up going to that one place nearby that we discovered all those birds at. Even if he can't see them, the sound of chirping should be a good mood boost."

Ren managed to equip Ignis with his glasses, a bag that contained bottles of water and snacks should the pair actually choose to hang around for a bit before returning. In all honesty, he looked akin to a dad going on some sort of family outing. She snorted quietly, but refused to say any of that out loud and held onto his hand in order to ensure that Ignis did not manage to wander too far off from her sight. "If I remember right, we found them just about ten minutes this way. Plenty of trees there for shade too, last I need is for you to faint on me."​

 

[Sylveron]

Ignis had to suppress an outright laugh at the byplay between Ren and Cindy, the corners of his lips twitching upward into what was sure to be a dashing smile when he heard the muffled retort from the other girl. As Ren went about gathering up supplies for their outing, Ignis worked to slowly finish his food before tapping his finger gently against the table. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Cindy. Just use it as a learning experience, it could have been worse timing. At least you didn't walk in while I was doing something else entirely." Ignis added before hearing a gasp and laughter from nearby, sure that Ren had heard what he said. Ignis was sure that Cindy had enough of their teasing if the sound of the chair scraping and rapid retreating footsteps were anything to go by. "Poor girl can shrug off the advance of just about any guy that comes through these parts but gets flustered to Niflheim and back just from a little bit of teasin'." Cid grumbled as Ignis chuckled. "Well, it's rather easy to do when she got an eye full earlier. Ren asked her to check up on me and she didn't even bother to knock before coming in." Ignis explained causing Cid to cough for a moment, choking on his food before outright laughing. "Well, that explains a lot. Will teach her to respect y'alls privacy a bit more though." Cid added before standing from the table. "You youngin's be careful out there, I'm gonna go make sure Cindy doesn't break something by being distracted." Cid stated before excusing himself.

Ignis felt a bit anxious as Ren and himself began walking away from the safety of the shop, he consciously had to make himself relax and take a deep breath on occasion to get his body to relax instead of tighten up as if readying himself to fight. In one hand he held Ren's hand while in the other he held a metallic cane, a spare that Cid kept around from when his own back would act up. Just before the pair had left the shop Cid had come rambling from the garage to hand it to him, knowing that Ignis would find it easier to move around if he had something he could use to feel for changes in terrain. "Honestly, I think if I were going to faint again it would have been last night." Ignis offered as he used his right hand to grip the cane, lightly dragging it over the ground a foot or two in front of him, feeling for rocks that might trip him up as they walked along the path. "I'm just glad that we are out of the shop... With all the adventures I've been part of recently, I was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic being stuck inside. I'm more suited to open-air camping these days, granted that was when I had sharp enough eyes to keep an eye out for possible ambushes." Ignis added while taking gentle steps, happy that his shoes had softer soles which made it easier to feel out the terrain underneath.

As the pair made their way to the area in question, Ignis found himself growing more confident in his abilities, though that confidence was short-lived when Ignis began a short descent into the small valley Ren had described, a bit of loose gravel being his literal downfall as his feet slid out from beneath him, the cane clattering to the ground followed by Ignis himself rolling a few feet down before stopping atop what he was sure was grass. "Ow..." Ignis groaned before sitting up, his hands moving slowly as he felt over himself to make sure he hadn't injured himself. Thankfully the only result of his short tumble was dirty clothing and a small wound to his pride. "I'm fine, Ren. Just bring me the cane, please." Ignis explained before arching his back, his hands flat against the ground before kipping himself up onto his feet. "Still got it!" Ignis stated happily before feeling Ren press the cane flat against his chest. "I know, I know... I need to be more careful." Ignis grumbled before feeling her practically drag him to a cooler area, no doubt one of the shade trees she had spoken of, his hands removing the reinforced bag from his back before setting it on the ground.

"Falling aside, it has felt nice to get outside and feel the sun and wind. Even if I can't enjoy the sights, it is far better than just feeling cold concrete against my skin." Ignis explained before lowering himself to gently sit with his back against the pack, noting the soft, cool grass and earth a stark contrast to the cloth and concrete that had been a norm days prior. It was then that Ignis' attention shifted to the songs being sung by the local wildlife. His head tilted for a moment as the sound captivated his senses, lips upturned into a smile as he felt Ren's hand grip his right hand gently. "I know you are worried about me, Ren. If I'm being honest, I'm worried myself. I'm afraid that I'll become trapped by this disability..." Ignis muttered as he tightened his grip on her hand. "I can't explain why, but I felt so anxious... No, I think the proper term would be exposed, knowing we were out in the wilds and knowing that in just a few hours this area could be full of things that could only be explained as nightmares." Ignis added before taking a deep breath, allowing his body to calm as he listened to the birds singing, his mind being oddly put at ease by the noise. "Perhaps it's because I've always associated darkness with such frightful things, and now, my world is always covered in darkness."

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren tried in earnest to allow him room to make mistakes and learn from them, even though each time he stumbled on a rock or limb it caused all of the muscles in her body to visibly tense all at once. She was ready and willing to spring into action, consequences be damned. A gasp wrenched itself out regardless upon the sudden descent down the hill, had she forgotten to warn him about the small drop beforehand? Heartbeat raced as she could feel her hand shaking violently, the close brush with further injury enough to make nerves become shot. This disability might very well end up being the end of her. "Fine, just please try to not be so fast from now on. I know that you want to push past the initial phase that makes you feel like a newborn, but that part is crucial." Ren reasoned in a firm intonation, glaring at him even if Ignis was unable to see the gesture no doubt he would feel the intent behind it just the same. He described each and every sensation being felt as if it were in vivid detail, and seeing as Ren held a deep seeded distrust of the dark to begin with, something like this might end up being mental breaking material. "That sounds. Horrible, darling." She shushed him for a moment after, even though the anxiety rising to a peak between the couple managed to dissipate at the sound of the chirping birds nearby. One hand was used to usher him into a seated position beneath the nearest tree, using the shade to keep his face from getting too much direct sunlight due to the healing scars. Sensitivity and pain would become normal for Ignis, at least for the first month or so of recovery until the skin and nerves below settled back down again.

"I know it seems scary, hell if that were to happen to me, I would be petrified on the spot and refuse to budge!" Ren shuddered at the mere thought, knowing that if the roles were reversed Ignis would not allow her to give in and now, now was when he needed that same support in kind. "But I also know you would refuse to let me just give up. Hell, if I had a similar instance, you would be all but babying me until I was comfortable." That was the difference between them, though. Ren was a female and used to being doted on, whereas Ignis had a matter of personal pride that did not allow him to go quite so far despite being comfortable in both his masculinity and that it was just her that saw him that way. "Don't worry, we'll try to keep the prying eyes to a minimum. I know it cannot be easy for you to deal with when it comes to being vulnerable." Cid and even Cindy would not be the problem here, but the customers were sure to make him feel insecure if he did something deemed silly in their presence. ""No one, and I mean No one - is going to make fun of you in my presence." Ren insisted while squeezing down on the hand she still held tight, a reassuring presence meant to transcend the darkness threatening to engulf his entire psyche. "Not to mention, Cindy would kick their ass too. I would hate to see someone at the end of her patented wrench throw." Ren laughed at the imagery, knowing that her description should be enough to make it a clear image to Ignis as well.

"Now, let's just lay back and enjoy the sun for a while. If you start to feel claustrophobic at the shop, you just need to tell me, and we can take a couple of minutes to go outside and unwind." She saw fit to sprawl out across his lap this time, allowing his hands to run through her hair and reveling in the way such a simple action managed to even out his breathing until it sounded calm and akin to a normal rhythm. "Despite all of this that happened, you have me and you always will. We can deal with this latest obstacle together, but something tells me you shouldn't write off the possibility of some sight coming back eventually." It was best to keep him hopeful, because due to the nature of the magic in their world, it was never out of the realm in terms of a miracle. "Even if it doesn't, I'll still end up wanting to grow older and grey right along with you. Just because you can't see it only means I remain the way I am now in your mind's eye. Kind of a blessing, really." Ren snorted at the light smack her comment evoked from him, the two seemingly content to chatter amongst the wildlife and at times even enjoy the oncoming breeze as it tickled both the nose and other senses.

She had mentioned before that the possibility of having children was a bit of a fear subject, given what she went through as a child herself. The idea of children being discussed between the pair about a year prior and the solution still was left hanging up in the air. Ren paused, as if trying to manage the courage to say it out loud. "I had planned on telling you when I saw you again but. You had asked me before if I could ever see kids in the future, and while the idea of it still terrifies me. If it was with you, something tells me it would all be okay."​

 

[Sylveron]

Ignis had chosen to stay quiet as Ren spoke although part of him wanted to speak and quiet any doubts or fears she may possess. It wasn't until she made mention of other people that Ignis tilted his head, his lips beginning to part for a moment before her next line of thought made him outright laugh. "Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned." Ignis quoted before he felt her head as it landed upon his lap, his fingertips dancing delicately over her scalp. "As funny as it is thinking of the two of you dishing out punishment, I would caution against such things. I would like to think I'm above simple insults and it isn't like I can see if they are staring. I would also be inclined to get involved if I even thought for a second you or Cindy might be harmed. Violence should only ever be the last resort." Ignis stated before taking another long and drawn-out calming breath, enjoying the warmth of the woman he loved, as well as the warmth of the sun. "I do hold out hope that I might get some sight back, but even if I don't, I knew the risks when I decided to don the ring." Ignis added before lightly slapping the back of her head at the mention of it being a blessing not seeing her age.

"It most assuredly would not be a blessing, even though it is grim knowing that we will age and eventually die, it doesn't mean that I wouldn't want to be able to witness it." Ignis rebutted before returning to combing his fingers through her hair. "Without sight, there is so much that I will miss. While I do have some rather... vivid memories of you, I would be lying if I said that I wouldn't miss watching your work, seeing your eyes light up when you see me, your smile, and the way your hips sway... Some of those have more innocent intentions than others, but I'll miss it all the same." Ignis admitted as the symphonic chatter of the various species of fowl continued their song. When she broached the subject of children, Ignis felt his body tense and begin to tremble. He had once accepted that if he and Ren indeed pursued a relationship the likelihood of children would be next to none, he knew of her past and what she had gone through. He accepted that his line would end with himself in that regard, but now, hearing those words from her brought forth a new form of fear. Could he justify bringing children into such an unsure world? Would he be able to provide for Ren and his children with his current disability?

Ignis was surprised when he felt a tear run down his cheek, his hands reaching up as he pulled his glasses from his eyes, closing them as he gently rubbed them to clear the moisture away. Ignis could feel the wind picking up around the pair, unbeknownst to him, the wind carrying what would look like glowing sylleblossom blooms dancing around them. "What is happening?" he asked as he felt his body begin to relax, a feminine voice like a whisper on the wind replying in earnest. 'Noctis and I may have been robbed of our dreams, Ignis, but you will not.' Ignis knew the voice, his hands putting away his glasses before balling his fists. 'His journey isn't finished, nor is yours. May my final blessing bring you peace in the coming storm.' The voice finished before Ignis could even utter another word, the wind dying down as he opened his eyes. "Please tell me that I didn't just experience some sort of fever dream..." Ignis muttered as he scrambled to his feet, fairly sure he wasn't just imagining things as he had noticed Ren had quickly moved to her feet when the wind kicked up.

For a moment, Ignis worked to steady himself on his feet, glad that he now held the cane in his hand once more as he used it to center and ground his stance. As he stood there, the cadence of the nearby birds began reaching a crescendo before he felt a dull throb behind his left eye. "It can't be..." Ignis ground out through the pain, his left hand reaching for the glasses in his pocket before putting them on and opening his eyes, the dull throb going away as he turned his head toward where he had heard Ren, a blur of light and color now coalescing on his left side as he could barely make out a very blurry silhouette. "Luna..." Ignis breathed out before noticing the sky seemingly quickly growing dim, a growing pit of dread building within his stomach as he heard the chorus of avians dispersing with a loud rumble of thunder in the distance. "We need to get back to the garage, this storm doesn't feel natural." Ignis muttered as he stepped forward, making out Ren's shape as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I also can't shake the feeling that this is just the beginning of what is to come."

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren could feel the sudden change in the atmosphere around them, noting the way he reacted to her decision and not long after a wind started to pick up that felt almost ethereal in a sense. Her body tensed almost immediately, not entirely certain why Ignis was acting that way until his hand was able to reach out for her and make contact without and prior investigation needed. That was new, since he had been all but stumbling the entire way there up to his tumble down the hillside. Instead of raising too many questions, she chose to listen to Ignis and save the pseudo interrogation for once they were safe inside of the garage. "Alright, we'll go back now. It's not far so we should be able to get there before the storm gets too bad." Despite his newfound blur of sight, Ren insisted on holding one of his hands to ensure that he was able to follow close behind and remove the risk of further injury. Her ears perked up at the noise that was coming closer by the second, able to see the garage in the near distance and that notion of safety pushed the woman to move just a little faster to avoid the pair getting caught in a sudden possible downpour. "Come on, Iggy. The doors right here." Her words sounded distant under the din of oncoming thunder, having to all but shout it out so that he was able to hear her properly. She closed the door behind them with an audible slam, leaning back against the cool surface and allowing it to drop her body temperature a little due to the sudden burst of excitement.

"Wonder what all that commotion is." Cindy sounded out from across the garage, currently knee deep in her own job and the sudden nature of it had both her and Cid outright puzzled. Ren shrugged in response, not too sure how to even begin formulating an answer because the woman had none. Meanwhile, the blond reached out for a cloth she kept in her pocket and proceeded to wipe off any remnants of the tears that still stained Ignis' face. Had her admission before evoked that kind of emotion or was there something else at play? "I know what I said was sudden, but I wasn't quite expecting it to make you cry." Ren joked in a halfhearted manner, a laugh following shortly after as she kissed his forehead tenderly. "Something tells me that you saw something, I'll admit I think I saw it too, but you might have to explain it to me in more detail." Glowing flowers and a gust of wind that made them look like they were physically dancing. It was beyond just the nature of surreal and almost went into otherworldly territory. "I also... heard some kind of voice." Ren confirmed this through the way Ignis appeared to stiffen up, it was like he had seen or heard a ghost. "So, I wasn't just imagining it!" Ren stopped when she realized that the couple had eavesdroppers, though Cid for his part tried to keep out of it but it was clear Cindy had become invested and was hanging on each syllable.

"Wait, so you mean you regained a bit of sight in your left eye?" Ren found it hard to comprehend, simply because up until now Ignis showed no signs of regaining that function. Normally, such a rapid recovery even just blurs and color was unheard of. "Yes, I did think it was weird how you ended up reaching out to me. But Iggy this means you might actually regain some of your sight!" Ren was so overcome with emotion that she promptly wrapped her arms around the back of him and pulled him into a hug, fingers taking to digging into the material a bit more than usual as this affected her as much as him. At least this was a good reason for the couple retiring back to her room for the time being, that and the notion that as tough as Ren was, she despised thunderstorms and became like a kitten scared of its own shadow during one. "You reacted oddly to my mention of children. I honestly thought you would be ecstatic for the news. I mean, it almost actually caused me to end it when you mentioned wanting children before. I did not want to be selfish and force you to give up on your dream of a family." Ren winced at the notion of airing that in particular, because once again it was a possibility that had not been aired to Ignis before this. But, if she had not been able to give him what he so desired, would it not have been selfish to keep him from it?​

 

[Sylveron]

Ignis was beyond exasperated as they made it back to the garage, his lungs burning once they had made it to cover. The first act of business was for him to discard the hiking pack he had been carrying, though the multitude of questions that Ren brought forth had his head spinning. He could still feel a little dampness on his cheek after Ren had wiped his face, his heart beating far faster than it should have with the exertion that had just taken place. All he could do at that moment as his head spun was simply nod or shake his head to answer her questions before finally centering himself. He could hear Cid yelling at Cindy to help him get the doors closed before everything was coated in sand and dust as the storm approached. Taking a calming breath, Ignis looked at the blurry blob that he was sure was Ren before he took his hands and took off the glasses covering his eyes. "To explain what just happened... I could only call it divine providence." Ignis started as he blinked his eyes, one after the other. First, he held his left closed only to see darkness, the right provided no effect. "The voice you heard... was Lunafreya." Ignis explained, his finger touching her lips to keep her from speaking.

"Let me explain something... The reason I was upset, was because I was afraid that if we did pursue starting a family, I would miss so much and wouldn't be able to provide you with the support that you needed because of my limitations." Ignis admitted before taking another deep and calming breath. "I would never get to see you carry my child. I would miss seeing them born into the world. I wouldn't get to watch them take their first steps, nor would I be able to protect either of you properly on my own. I would have to rely on you and others, something that has been ingrained in my character since early in life." Ignis explained before wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her chest flush against his own as he placed a kiss against her forehead. He leaned to the side as he whispered in her ear the next part, knowing that anyone else who might hear it would think him mad. "I think Luna granted us mercy and her blessing, asking that we do the things that she and Noctis would never be able to do." Ignis explained before pulling back and closing his eyes, his body tensing as he uttered the next part aloud for the first time. "When I wore the ring, the past leaders of Insomnia and the Aeons spoke to me. When the final battle comes, Noctis will have to sacrifice himself and the crystal to purge the darkness and daemons from the land." Ignis added before sighing. "Leave it to Luna to reach out beyond the grave and meddle once more in the affairs of others." Ignis joked with a small laugh.

"Not that I wanna break up this precious little moment..." Cid started before noticing how violent the storm seemed as it approached. "But, can someone explain just what in the hell is happening outside? It ain't even close to monsoon season around these parts. I'd bet a tonberry's knife an lantern that storm ain't natural." Cid's gravely voice barked out. "I don't know for certain, but I would bet that this is just the beginning. There was a storm like this in Altissia right before Ardyn and Niflheim started their attack. It could be a freak storm, but if I had to wager, I would say that Ardyn knows that the boys are getting close and is using the power of the Crystal to try and slow them down. This storm is just a consequence of that. We should start getting ready for this sort of thing to be more frequent." Ignis explained as Cid grumbled, his head shaking even though he was too far away for Ignis to tell. "We have enough supplies to last out for a little while... but, if the old prophecy is true, it won't be long before the long night approaches." Cid stated before Ignis heard Cindy draw in a sharp breath. "What in the hells is the Long Night prophecy?" Cindy asked as Ignis cleared his throat, hearing Cid grumble about the girl never listening to his stories growing up. "The prophecy talks of a time when all of the natural light leaves the world, lasting for a decade before the true king of Eos returns to dispel the darkness. Daemons will run rampant in the wilds, overtaking the less civilized villages and cities." Ignis explained before having an idea. "Cid... We need to prepare, if that happens, we should leave here and go to Lestallum. With you, Cindy, and Ren, we could fortify the power plant and create a safe haven."

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren blinked rapidly at all of the information being dropped on her at once, not once having really met the one he called Lunafreya but there really was no other explanation for the foreign female voice being carried on the wind before. A part of her mind was reeling at the news of that ancient prophecy, though a small laugh escaped when it was obvious that once again Cindy had not paid a bit of attention to Cid or his wisdom. If that all was true, it meant that the four would need to leave for Lestallum within possibly a couple days' time at best and try to stick to larger roads to avoid unnecessary confrontations. "That makes it even better that I had you fix up my sword recently, eh Cid?" Ren mentioned while looking toward the older male. If the roads and wilds would be crawling with daemons, it required someone with both the ability and willingness to fight. "Right, I just got done with it actually." Cid intoned while reaching into a nearby stand to produce the requested blade. The handle fashioned from the skull of a behemoth, well the sides of it anyway since the rest had been much too big and bulky for her to carry around. Meanwhile, the blade itself was made from adamantite fashioned from some of the scales of their nearby tortoise friend. "Jeez, it seems like you had quite a bit of fun with it this time around." She remarked while tracing a few bronze notes fashioned onto the hilt. The whole project of forging this blade took almost three to four months, a pet project for Cid to carry out along with Ren's help as incentive to better her swordsmanship.

"Not like this goes without saying, but we do not have too many of us that are fit for actual battle." Ren mentioned while pointing toward Ignis and Cindy, mostly putting him on that list because while some of his vision was now restored, using magick spells without being able to properly discern the target could spell disaster. "So, avoiding as many of the daemons as possible would definitely be ideal." Her left hand gripped onto the hilt and swung it forward to test the momentum, making sure that no one else was within striking distance prior to it. "Feels light enough, but enough heft I can know where it's going to swing." Ren paused and placed the blade against the nearest wall, not wanting to fool with it too much now and risk harming someone due to the closed quarters. "Iggy, what we will need to do is have you practice your spells with the limited sight you have. I know some of them would not be the least bit reliable without proper sight of the target, but there are at least a handful that I know of that as long as we communicate do not run the risk of hurting anyone but the enemies." The blond knew for a fact that Ignis would not take to being sidelined, and while his former tactical advantage might not be in play, it did not mean he was defenseless either. "If anything, it might not be a bad idea to have you use me as a target to at least get used to following a moving figure again. Blurred or not, I do not see you having too many problems adapting to your new limitations."

She sighed as the weight of all of this became quite suffocating, the idea of taking off and shacking up at a power plant of all places and being forced to build up a means of survival. Her fingers gingerly pinched the bridge of her nose to fend off a headache trying to form, instead forcing a smile onto her lips as she pulled Ignis close enough to allow the conversation between them to remain private. "Just think, if you regain even half of your eyesight. That means you will get to see my armor too." Ren purred this out, noting the cough and sputter that came from Ignis in kind. Somehow, teasing him knowing that he now had even a semblance of his previous confidence back made it all the more fun to partake. "Come on, darling. We need to start packing up some previsions for this trip. God knows, we will need all of the resources we can find to build this enclosed safe haven you mentioned." She shuddered at the idea of just how many hours and muscle cramps would be involved in the base construction. "When all of this is said and done, you owe me like the biggest massage."​

 

[Sylveron]

Ignis was slightly abashed when Ren made mention of his use of magic, it being his primary choice when it came to battle in the first place. As a strategist, it didn't do well to be in the forefront, but rather farther away where he could watch the battle and adjust the plan of battle at a moment's notice. It was one of the reasons why Ignis preferred to use a spear as his main weapon, rather than his daggers, the distance gave him enough time to react. If Ignis were being honest with himself, the very idea that he was limited by his eyesight with his amount of experience had honestly felt like she had stabbed his pride with one of his own daggers. He kept his thoughts to himself though as his train of thought was derailed by her teasing, his hand moving up to cover a gentle cough as he cleared his throat after mention of seeing her in her armor. In some ways, the thought of her needing armor bothered him, but the way she said it... it left him wondering just how conventional her armor was or if she had it made in order to be pleasing to his eyes. As he brought his thoughts back to the present, Ignis watched as she went about busying herself, though her body and features were still just a blur to his sight.

"Here kid, take this." Cid said as he handed Ignis a long metallic staff, the shaft of it a little longer than Ignis was tall. "It isn't the polearm you were wanting, but I figure you'll get more use out of a sturdy staff than a cane. With your knowledge of using a polearm, I'm sure you have the muscle memory to use it." Cid explained as Ignis held it in hand. "Ren made the leather bindings near the center and helped me figure out a triggering mechanism for it." Cid explained as Ignis took a few steps to the side, knowing the area he currently was in was clear, he flourished the weapon through several forms of thrusts, twirls, and wide swings. "If you twist the bindings at the center of the shaft, the blunt edge at the bottom will expand and a javelin tip will be exposed. We made the whole thing outta mithril, so it's light and durable." Cid added as Ignis held the weapon in front of him with both hands, getting ready to release the tip before Cid stopped him with a chuckle. "I'd suggest not doing that. Don't go poking anything with it unless you want it to die... I coated the tip in a vial of concentrated Malboro pollen." Cid warned as Ignis quietly and now respectfully simply used it as a large walking stick. "Yeah... I tested that stuff out not long ago because we were going to make injectors for your daggers and make bullets with it for Prompto's guns. It affects everything differently, some monsters it would put to sleep, others it would paralyze, then you have some that it would just outright poison and kill." Cindy piped up as she finished up on a customer's car. "I see... in other words, be careful not to scratch myself with it." Ignis proposed as Cid laughed. "Yeah, but, lucky for us the old cure-all Remedy still works on this stuff, so make sure to keep a few vials of it in your travel bag." Cid explained before looking at Ren. "If you need us, come let us know. We're gonna notify the customers to come get their stuff before we close."

"Sweetums, I wouldn't want you in harm's way acting as some sort of faux target. I was trained by some of the best magisters in Insomnia, and part of that training was feeling targets through the aether. How else do you think mages could cast devastating magics like Firaga without hurting their comrades?" Ignis asked after Cid and Cindy left, turning and placing the staff against the wall behind him. "Either way, even if my sight was still fully gone, do you think I'd be able to sit idly while you fought? You know me better than that." Ignis added before walking up behind her, his hands wrapping around her waist as he rested his chin atop her head. "To say I could sit idly by, and allow you to possibly come to harm, would be totally and utterly absurd." Ignis explained before bringing his hands down to her hips, turning her to face him as he leaned down to press his lips against hers with a gentle and chaste kiss. "Before we all commit to move on to Lestallum, we should first take a few days to go there and figure out exactly what supplies and equipment we need to bring. I would suggest that the two of us and Cindy go while Cid buttons up things here and handles the customers. With all the systems and defenses Cid has set up here over the years, he'll be fine here while we make sure that we have everything we need. Not to mention, it wouldn't hurt to give the locals a heads up." Ignis stated before taking a step back. "Thankfully, we have some people inside of Lestallum that can help. Namely one Iris Amicitia, the sister of Gladiolus. With her helping us, we should be able to convince the townsfolk that we are coming to help them prepare for the darker days ahead." Ignis finished as he turned his head to look through a nearby window as the sound of strong rains hit the top of the garage. "We should talk this over with Cid, see if he agrees."

 

[Astral Rayne]

Ren pursed her lips together at the way Ignis proceeded to outright baby her a bit, chastising how she had spoken to him prior as if her words had ended up wounding his precious pride even more. She in turn merely rolled her eyes at it but allowed and even kissed back when the opportunity presented itself. It was not possible to be mad enough at the moment to refuse such gentle affections. "Why does something tell me you assume my armor is some slinky number?" She mumbled quietly, and honestly, he would not be the first to have that train of thought. Cid had been apprehensive to look at it at all until Ren practically shoved herself in front of him and ended up shocking the man speechless. It was a full set of proper metal armor, similar to ones that were seen on the soldiers on patrol but obviously with adjustments to allow for curves that they lacked. "It's a proper set of armor, Iggy. What is it with you and Cid thinking I want to parade around a battlefield in a bikini or something"? Ren huffed as if letting off a bit of steam, and then the emotions were allowed to be felt and pass by just as quick. "As for supplies, we will need plenty of food supplies just in case we manage to get stranded on the way. That might be something you can actually help to take care of." She remarked, knowing about his penchant for packing up ingredients and actually found it to be a fun activity of sorts. "You tell me what we'll need to take, and I can pack it all up. You have the knowledge, and I have the means to pick it out on the shelf."

This was what passed about an hours' worth of time, ending up with around five separate boxes and each filled to the brim with packages of spices, herbs, and necessities to make sauces on the fly. When she suggested Ignis be in charge, even Ren could not fathom the fresh hell that was an excitable boyfriend when he started in on a recipe tangent. "We have enough seasonings and such for the trip, Iggy. Now all we'll need is to possibly gather some fresh meats to pair along with it." Ren mused, knowing that there was some in the fridge at the garage but not sure that all of it would be enough to last should supplies become emergency rations. "I know I saw some birds outside, ones that require little effort but still provide a source of protein." She was roused from her thought process when Cid came back in, and from the look on his features he had not been expecting the amount of packing the two had done in his absence. "Shit, you think you've packed enough stuff?" He groused, though Ren smirked as the look on the older man's face spoke of his jest loud and clear. "This is not even half of the stuff we have here in terms of ingredients, I think I managed to pack one of the boxes with some of the spare tools in case we end up having trouble with the vehicle." Wrench, jack, and even some hammers.

"Oh, before I forget. Ignis mentioned that the three of us should go and see Gladio's sister and inform her of the plans. That would leave you with time to take care of the minor works here, inform customers and lock up while we're gone." She noted with a smile, not even a couple of daemons would be a match for the gruff old mechanic. "Makes sense, get someone from there to vouch for ya and cause less panic that way." Cid admitted readily, even if he was apprehensive about both girls going out into the world without being there to protect them in his own way. "Don't worry, this way you don't have to put up with Cindy and her babbling through the trip. In a sense, Iggy and I are doing you a favor." Ren snorted as the forementioned blond walked in as if on cue, and promptly stuck her tongue out at Ren in rebuke. "By the way, Cid. I saw some birds outside, mind taking one or two out for me?" She even took to handing him what appeared to be a small gun and a mid-length knife to use should it not do the job. "Sure, might end up getting an extra one fer myself while I'm at it." Cid departed shortly after, and Ren knew that he was looking for any excuse to shoot at something right now. "I knew he'd need a bit of an outlet for his emotions right now." Ren turned around to face Ignis again, allowing her lower back to lean on the table and lift onto the edge for a seat. "Now that we're all on the same page, it's just a matter of tying up a few loose ends and we can get going. The longer we wait, the worse conditions will be outside not to mention the roads."​