You Can't Win Against Fyodor

I hope Fyodor is in Nikolai's body now and that he's forced to experience Nikolai's love for him in such a way that he can't escape because he's joined them irrevocably. I hope it does something deranged to his psyche to parasitically gorge himself on someone who had, with utter, grief-stricken sincerity, mourned him.

I hope Fyodor drowns in the horrifying waves of intimacy as he subsumes the only person who didn't need a lobotomy to adore him.

ohmigods! That last snippet! Am dead from cuteness! I mean the in universe implications are kinda terrible for those not in the know, but still. Cute af. May I ask for more brotherly interactions? Only if you're up to sharing your thoughts of course :D I am LOVING everything about this.

Sure! Lemme see what I can jot down real quick.

-Nox acts … a bit odd around Noctis for at LEAST several months (and will occasionally revert to that oddness even years later). Stiff when touched, stammering when talking, sometimes unable to look his little brother in face for all it’s clear to anyone with eyes that he LOVES Noctis to no end. Regis thinks its a side-effect of his upbringing (he already suspects that Nox is touch starved, but add to that a cheerful little half-sibling who likes to spontaneously touch Nox and wrap his magic around Nox in greeting-affection-attention? Regis mourns even as he goes about trying to help acclimate his son to positive touch from people other than Ardyn).

-Noctis is the initiator of contact for the longest time. Hugs, conversation, casual hand grabs, you name it, he’s probably done it to Nox and then patiently chatted his way through Nox’s instinctive freeze. Because Nox always snaps out of it and interacts eventually, and at this point Noctis  A D O R E S  Nox okay? He has a big brother who is totally EPIC and COOL and isn’t always too busy for him like his dad and is totally fine with playing Kings Knight instead of doing homework, and has all sorts of cool hunting stories and-

-There is some serious hero worship going on at first okay? And Nox CANNOT figure out how to deal with being looked up to by his YOUNGER SELF. It’s honestly hilarious and sad at the same time, and Ardyn alternates between instigating more contact between them and rescuing his nephew from death by confusion via being the Cool Uncle.

-Eventually though, as Nox begins to relax around his little brother counterpart and hang out more easily … Noctis beings to notice that something is … not wrong exactly, but … off about Nox. That it isn’t normal for Nox to always walk around with his armiger just beneath his skin, ready to draw a weapon at a moment’s notice, that the Quiet Days Nox and Ardyn have aren’t quiet so much as Painful, because Noctis is even more magic sensitive than Regis and he can feel the thick grief-love-mourning-exhaustion that clings to Nox’s bones on those days. The way Nox (and Ardyn too) feel like today is a day to lie down and just- never get up. Nothing Noctis does can break Nox or Ardyn out of their Quiet Day, even though they never raise a hand against him even in their worst moments, so eventually Noctis learns to come find them and curl up against one or the other’s side, radiating at much love and good thoughts through his magic as he can so that they know they aren’t alone.

-Nox and Ardyn appreciate the gesture more than Noctis will ever know.

-But it isn’t always angst and caution. Noctis is not like Nox, he’s brighter and happier and so earnest that it’s infectious. Noctis essentially has Nox wrapped around his little finger, and when Noctis isn’t busy with the tutors Ignis won’t let him escape from, he can usually be found trailing after Nox like a puppy, asking questions and begging to join in whatever Nox is doing (if Nox uses this as a chance to train Noctis in magic and fighting, then nobody comments. If those practice sessions usually end in Nox tickling Noctis into submission while the latter squeals with laughter and joy, Ardyn is the only one who dares interrupt, and Regis has about half a dozen pictures framed on his study desk).

-These two grow up to be super tactile with each other. Nox because he’s touch-starved and Noctis because he figures out that Nox needs touch and they both enjoy mingling their magic together (Cor comments once that their magic is so in sync and similar they might as well have been twins born seven years apart, Ardyn laughs himself sick for reasons no one dares ask about). Tackle hugs, arms over shoulders, smooshing into the Smallest Space Possible on the couch when watching movies because Noctis likes using Nox as a pillow are all very common (not during game though, because Nox is a cheater who isn’t afraid to use tickling as a weapon).

-Only time Noctis is ever really trying to get AWAY from Nox is during training once Noctis is a teen and his training starts getting Serious. Because Cor’s favorite tactic is to yeet the Chocobros into an obstacle course or arena with Nox as their sole opponent and tell Nox to “Go wild”. Nox has way too much fun doing just that (channeling his Uncle’s trolling tendencies to a scary degree in the process) and the Chocobros inevitably end up wheezing helplessly on the floor to a man, each aching in places they know intimately know they have from prior reenactments of this very same event. Noctis never, ever wants to go up against Nox for real, especially since his madman of an older sibling is always FINE at the end of the spars. Barely breathless and still so full of magic he can casually spam healing spells to get them back on their feet.

-Noctis went though a jealousy phase when he was 14-15, because Nox was so much BETTER at stuff than him either in combat or talking nobles in circles. It lasted approximately until the first time Noctis actually tried to do the Brat Teenager Thing and said something INCREDIBLY spiteful only for Nox to go very, very Quiet and just- leave. For two weeks. Wasn’t even in the Citadel. Ardyn actually got angry at Noctis for that and told Noctis that he had no idea what Nox had been through to get as good as he was. Noctis told his uncle to prove it, Ardyn left and came back twenty minutes later with Nox’s Citadel medical file. It had info on all his checkups and doctors notes since first coming to the city. Pictures of his scars, how underweight he was, his suspected trauma issues and what probably caused them.

-When Nox finally slunk back to the Citadel, magic curled in and subdued like a flinching dog, the first thing Noctis did was run to his brother and hug him tight, crying/apologizing the entire time. Noctis never told Nox that he’d seen Nox’s file and Nox was too glad that the jealousy phase was over to question it.

-Nox once borrowed (kidnapped) Noctis when his little brother was eighteen to go on a brother-bonding road trip around the country to show his sibling how to survive in the proper wilds and what the kingdom of Lucis was really like. He genuinely forgot to tell Regis or anyone else about this, so by the time Axis and the Chocobros track him down (with Ardyn’s bemused help) the Citadel had gone beyond Meltdown and straight into Murderland. Nox wasn’t sorry, and Noctis was having the time of his life as long as he wasn’t being chased by cactaur while Nox sat on a high ledge and laughed at him (Nox is at this point perhaps a little TOO big of a believer in learning on the job).

I've been wanting to ask you about Regis's reaction to the Ardyn is an LC reveal (and the Kingsglaive and Titus's) but I know that's something you'll probs want to keep under wraps, because SPOILERS, so instead can I ask how is it that Titus, Cor and Ardyn end up getting along? Like does Ardyn mention doing something Stupid™ that catches Cor's attention and suddenly Titus finds himself looking over the edge of a cliff debating his life choices as the other two egg each other on?

Those are under spoilers yes. So ON TO TITUS, COR, ARDYN FRIENDSHIP.

-Titus is mostly along for the ride in this friendship. Because one is his commander and the other is his King/Glauca’s boss and yet somehow he is the One Braincell™ of the group.

-Cor and Ardyn start to get along for reasons lost on literally everyone else.

-It’s their LC inflicted trauma, if you’re wondering. Cor knows what it’s like to be driven too far by a king and since he assumes that Mors was Ardyn’s tormentor as well-. He sympathizes once he becomes certain Ardyn isn’t going to hurt or be a threat to Regis and Noctis.

-Ardyn accepts his company with vague bafflement at first, since he’s Not Used to Sympathy. But then he figures out why Cor is awkwardly trying to Do the Friend Thing and- well- it’s not really the same. But he appreciates the thought.

-They REALLY start to click after something happens and Ardyn realizes that Cor, for all his serious scowling, is secretly an adrenaline junkie and Fully Down for Chaos of Any Kind (as long as it doesn’t threaten Regis or Noctis or Nox). Ardyn, who is the Ultimate Chaotic Good/Chaotic Neutral figure in this verse, is more than happy to lure Cor into things that give them both an adrenaline high.

-Cor figures out what Ardyn is doing the third time it happens and the tiny part of him that is still the teenager that went to Throw Hands with Gilgamesh is- so very pleased? Like- YES. Someone who understands his need for adrenaline to feel alive. Someone who not only goes along with it but comes up with cool new ideas. Yes this is good.

-Titus Hates Them Both™ (not really). But seriously- YOU TWO ARE ADULTS AND HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS. STOP DOING STUPID STUFF LIKE THIS. ARDYN AND COR //NO//. Ardyn and Cor as they Do The Thing: Titus, YES.

-Regis honestly finds this very funny. Is mildly alarmed at Cor’s new choice of bestie, but- as long as no bones are broken? I mean- this is probably the first time in years Cor has taken time off willingly when he isn’t hospitalized. Regis is gonna look on the positive side and let Titus and Clarus deal with all the fallout.

-Cor and Ardyn also bond over Quiet Days, surprisingly. Or not so surprisingly, considering Cor is a child soldier who saw War at 13. Sometimes they share a drink. Most of the time if Ardyn is somehow alone in his brooding and titus and Nox haven’t found him yet, Cor will slip into whatever room Ardyn’s in, settle down in the corner and start polishing his sword. No words, no pity. Just- company.

-Ardyn appreciates it a lot.

-He tries not to let it remind him of Somnus and Gilgamesh.

He'll grow back. He just need sunlight and fertilizer.

always just beyond my reach

I love how in anime everyone always treats the sound of a helicopter like it's a soft background noise while in reality that scene would look like this:

Dazai: But you see… You can't kill m-- Fyodor: What? Dazai: I said, you can't kill… Fyodor: What?? Dazai: YOU-- Fyodor: WHAT

About Chapter 114

okay imo Fyodors imortality is bc of his ability to possess other peoples bodies but i have seen people saying that it'll be sigma and idk about that. I think the most logical conclusion would be Nikolai. For one, he's technically the reason Fyodor 'died' just like the guard in the flashback but it would also fit so well within his character arc. There is a parallel of the overcoat in 'the overcoat' and his freedom being ironically taken right after he gets it. Also Nikolai already planned to kill himself and if he actually was posessed his death would also mean his freedom from fyodor. Nikolai was also near his dead body for the whole time, maybe thats also relevant. I mean where is Nikolai?

there is no "freedom" in "destiny"

Bungou Stray Dogs Wan!

Chapter 161 (English translation)

Translation, cleaning, type-setting by: @amythedemisimp (me)

Chapter illustrated by: KanaiNeco

Raws: here

Sorry if it looks a bit rushed, I did this quickly because I wanted to translate it and show it to everyone as soon as possible -- Fyodor is finally appearing in a Wan chapter as one of the main characters!!! I'm so happy!!!