lifeaftr | August Event: Overgrowth

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August Event: Overgrowth

AUGUST EVENT: OVERGROWTH

Who: Anyone and everyone
What: You choke on your flowery words
When: August 10th to August 17th
Where: Primarily Umui, though Ensō is also an option
Warnings: Character death, potential body horror - please mark as you go!

Say You're Happy Now - Once More With Feeling

You can find most of the information you need in the OOC info post! In the meantime, feel free to use this log as a catch-all for those afflicted by the Overgrowth, and whatever attempts may be made to save them. It will be emotional honesty that saves you - or your desperate need to cling to a repression of self that will make you quite pretty, in bloom.

Remember to let us know if your character dies during this event. Death penalties have been reduced for this event, but we still need to account for them!

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] August 10th: Afflicted characters begin to exhibit Stage Two symptoms
[ ♆ ] August 17th: Those who have not shed the Overgrowth enter Stage Three, and suffer a death
[ ♆ ] August 19th: Characters who succumbed to Stage Three are revived, and suffer a death penalty
[ ♆ ] August 20th: The monthly Storytelling occurs

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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"Yes," Ignis' eventual answer is almost lost in what is a cross between a harsh laugh and a sob. Gladio's reaction has confused him. He expected anger at his recklessness and even an accusation of betrayal, perhaps, that he would dare go against everything they had been taught for so long. This pride--this feeling that he might call 'worship' if he dared--is the last thing he expected.

"After Ravus and I found Noctis and Lunafreya, Ardyn caught us by surprise with a whole troop of MTs," Ignis wisely decides that there are some things Gladio doesn't need to know and the fact that Ardyn used the Shield's form to get the drop on them is one of those things. He is already carrying enough undeserved guilt. Ignis won't add to that.

"Ardyn was taunting me. Riling me up, but it would be hard for anyone to stay calm when their enemy is threatening to stab someone so important to them," he has to stop and catch his breath there--and to push away the memories that are trying to overwhelm him.

"I couldn't do anything. I was helpless. Pinned to the ground, but then the ring was there. It rolled out of Noct's hand without anyone but me noticing. It gave me a way to do something again. I just had to be willing to sacrifice everything to do it."

Ignis lets his head fall forward then until is comes to rest against Gladio's shoulder; his last words almost so soft that the can't be heard, "Truth be told, the last thing I saw wasn't Ardyn's ship leaving. It was Noctis. My king. My brother."

Gladio cards his fingers gently through Ignis' hair as he speaks. On one hand he doesn't want to hurt his boyfriend any more but he can't stop touching him, anything and everything, soothing touches of hands and lips in equal part.

Ardyn threatened to kill Noctis in front of him ,had already killed Lunafreya.

sacrifice everything

Gladio sniffles a little, holding his tongue until Ignis is done speaking no matter how much he wants to interject right away. When he finally finishes Gladio tips his head up with gentle fingers under his chin, kisses him soundly, something almost possessive in it that he hasn't let happen since the flowers had gotten really bad.

"I dunno if I'd have been-" He swallows hard, kisses him again, breath coming out shaky and unsteady and he knows it goes against everything but it's the truth. "Especially with how Noct was I-" He shakes his head, presses his face into Ignis' shoulder. "I don't know if I'd have been able to keep going like that without you."

He'd have tried, of course he would have, but the idea of giong on for so long without Ignis, without the grounding presence he had, even later in the dark without the constant worry in the back of his mind, the determination to train Talcott so someone could keep eyes on Ignis. Without Ignis there...

"No, I know I couldn't have... not after Noct. Not with just me and Prompto and the world in ruins around us I-" He leans in, kisses Ignis again but it's messy, sloppy and wet because he's crying now, steady tears and his nose is running a little and he just drags Ignis against him. He doesn't want to hurt him but he can't bear to let him go.

"Maybe it was fate, maybe it was some sort of written destiny that the ring would present itself to you like that, after all Regis-" He shakes his head. The bastard had known from the first. There would one day be a new line of kings and it would fall to Ignis to bear them.

Despite the small sparks of pain some of the touches cause, Ignis can't help but want them to continue. His will is as tired as the rest of him and the gentle caresses help bolster him as he pushes back both bad memory and excess emotion. The second is especially important right now with Gladio slowly starting to lose the hold on his own emotions.

It's difficult and more than a little painful, but once Gladio has settled his head against his shoulder, Ignis forces his stiff, bandaged fingers to comb through the Shield's hair as he had just been doing for him a few moments before.

"Shh... Lovely Petal, don't be so hard on yourself. You never give yourself or your strength enough credit," he has to pause to swallow then as something moves unpleasantly in his throat. He's not sure if the flowers are growing more or receding, and he has no desire to know for sure. He'd rather focus on other things, like the man in his arms.

"It's easier when we are together. I didn't stop to think of the consequences of my actions. I was so horrified when Prompto told me what came after..."

His voice trails off once more, this time so he can rest his head against Gladio's, his soft, though intense, words brushing lightly across the Shield's ear, "Don't say such things. It's bad enough I've already had the thought myself. I don't want Lucis presented to me like some kind of consolation gift. I want Noct with us, ruling over the kingdom he's given so much for."

"I know, baby." Soft and reassuring, as much as he can be considering he can't stop the tears from falling and he feels like he's falling apart when Ignis needs him to be strong. But maybe they just both need to fall apart, together, and then they can figure out how to put the pieces back into a different whole.

"It wouldn't be Lucis... it... it isn't Lucis. Insomnia will take years to rebuild. Lestallum is the only city left and the people are as much Altissian, Tenebraen, and Niff as they are Lucian. It's a mess." It still doesn't change the fact that they're expected to carry on without Noctis but it does maybe help him understand it's not Noctis' kingdom he'd be taking.

"Noct deserves better, so do you." Gladio just wishes he could give it to them.

Sometimes, the only way to repair a damaged foundation is to tear it all down and start again. Is that what this disease was meant to push them toward with their truth-telling? If they crumble, they will crumble together and then rebuild together all the stronger.

"We all deserve better and we will fight to get it," Ignis tightens his arms around Gladio as much as he can. After all, this is a group effort. Him, Gladio, Prompto. It's not just one of them giving it to another.

"It doesn't matter what it is or isn't called, my love. I still don't want it. It's suppose to be Noctis on the throne. We just have to find a way to make it happen."

He knows Ignis is right, it doesn't really matter if it's Lucis or something else. He doesn't want it, it's not meant for him. Still he'd hoped that maybe it would east the burden a little bit. Just a little.

Stupid, really.

"I know you will, babe." A light, gentle nuzzle. Ignis is the most brilliant man he's ever known. He has no doubt that he'll find a way to set things right. And also no doubt that he doesn't need Gladio's help to figure that out.

"Don't," Ignis shakes his head for a moment before tilting it up toward Gladio as if he might be able to somehow overcome his blindness and be able to lock eyes with the Shield through sheer willpower alone. "Please don't say it like that, like I'm the only one needed to fix this. I can't do it alone. I need help. I need your help!"

The desperation in the way he says that makes Gladio's heart clench and he leans down to catch Ignis' lips in a gentle, soothing kiss.

"I know, Spark, I know." His fingers card through Ignis' hair, watching those awful petals move with the strands, frowning at the other man and thankful for one horrible moment that he can't simply will his eyes to work again.

"And I'll help however I can, you know I will. We can't all be as smart as you though." Which was a very careful way of not calling himself stupid. He's found out with Shion that it was enough to make the vine at his wrist perk up and it was so close to wilting away...

Too bad the disease doesn't really care about careful wording.

Have you ever wondered if your boyfriend is psychic, Gladio? Because, at the moment, Ignis feels like he might be. There is just so much unsaid in that very carefully worded comment that he knows immediately what Gladio's not saying.

Of course, it probably helps that they have spent most of their lives around each other. Sometimes there are things they just know.

With all the strength he has--and granted that's not much right now--Ignis hits Gladio in the chest with his hand, "You're not stupid! Just because your talents are different than mine..." Ignis has to pause to catch his breath as the rise in emotion strains his already strained body. "You're not less than me. You never have been. Stop telling yourself such things!"

He may be weakened by the flowers right now but that's not to say he's completely weak. Gladio grunts softly at the impact, flinching back as much as the wall will let him, one hand coming up to catch Iggy's hand to stop him from hurting himself trying to beat some sense into him. One would think Iggy'd have learned a long time ago that was useless.

"Shh fuck, I'm sorry babe." He doesn't want to make anything worse and watching Ignis struggle for breath breaks his heart. But hearing what he has to say once he does get his breathing under control has Gladio stiffening, a little defensive despite telling himself he doesn't need to be.

He opens his mouth, snaps it shut again with an audible click, lets out a slow breath. He's not going to snap, dammit. But he does say the words, just slow and measured instead of as harsh as he almost did. "Then why did you hide so much from me?"

"Why? Isn't that obvious?" Ignis' voice shakes as he threads his free hand into his hair, barely holding back a wince when his fingers pull hair and flower alike. He almost wishes he could slip back into that detached nothing that had scared him so earlier in the week. Everything is so real right now. So raw.

"How else am I suppose to protect someone I care about so much? I'm not ask strong as you are, or as brave or as generous..." There's an uncomfortable twinge in his chest when he says that last one. Perhaps it's not as honest as it should be, but Ignis can't stop now that he's started. Not even when he slowly realizes in the back of his mind that he is being more than a little hypocritical.

"My skills aren't physical. I use words. I make plans, and yes, there are times I keep things closer to my chest than I should, but I do it because it's the only way I know to keep us safe."

Most of Gladio knows that. He knows that Ignis is telling the truth, really he does. But there's still some part of him, small and sinister that reminds him of when they were young. When people would call Ignis a robot and Gladio was all brawn and no brains, too stupid to do more than act as a meat shield, not at all like his father who was so clever, advisor and Shield both.

They were two sides of the same coin, him and Ignis. They were there to check one another, to balance each other, carefully, perfectly matched to be everything Noctis needed.

"I-" He shakes his head, leans forward, wraps his arms around Ignis and tries to ease his hand free of his hair lest he do more damage. "You're right... I know that."

A sigh that borders on a growl of frustration. "Sometimes I get too caught up in my head... I want to help, you know that, no matter how futile it might seem all I want to do is help you. It's... hard not to wonder sometimes if you don't let me help cause-" Because he's just going to fuck it all up.

Ignis' first thought is to fight Gladio when he tries to free his hand from his hair, but he realizes then that he's been hurting himself unconsciously and immediately lets go of any thought of fighting. He hates not being more aware, but he has no one to blame but himself.

"Our minds are our own worst enemies. No matter how accomplished we are, they will always find something that isn't good enough," Ignis leans forward to press a shaky kiss to Gladio's lips. "But no matter how many times yours tells you I didn't share something with you because I thought you would be a burden, it's wrong. We're partners. My partner is never a burden. My need to protect is just so strong..."

Once he manages to draw Ignis' hand away he brings it up to his lips, dropping a series of kisses along his knuckles, his fingertips, his palm, nuzzling into his hand, guiding the hand back into his own hair when Ignis leans in for that kiss.

"Partners..." Soft, appreciative, and he nods, capturing Iggy's lips in another kiss. "If there's any one thing I've learned through the Night... it's that you can't protect everyone. No matter how much you want to."

A heavy sigh and he smiles a little, actually, remembering the conversation he'd had with Shion just days ago about the same thing. "Sometimes the best way to protect someone is to give them the tools to protect themselves. Why do you think we call Iris the Daemon Slayer now?"

"Because people saw her down a certain behemoth enough times they thought it wise to warn others of her skill?" A small, tired smile crosses his face as he speaks, his response to the last kiss slow as exhaustion quickly begins to gain on him.

Ignis settles his head against Gladio's shoulder, giving into his body's wish to rest even if his mind isn't quite ready to give in yet, "I understand what you are saying, but it's so difficult to put into practice. I will try to do better. My partner deserves no less."

The teasing gets a smile, gentle and encouraging.

"Ha ha ha. You're so clever." He'd normally poke or nudge the other man in retaliation but he doesn't dare make him squirm. Instead he snaps his teeth threateningly but follows it up with a soft kiss to his hair, leaning into him a little.

"But if you can give me shit you must be feeling a little better. So you rest and... we'll both try to do better, for each other."

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August Event: Overgrowth

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