Gladiolus Amicitia

The Hike Inn; Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia; Saturday [11/16].

2024-11-16T12:36:13Z

One of the great things about planning these weekend get-aways was finding some really unique and interesting places all around the country, and so when Gladio set out to find somewhere to visit to celebrate Nell's birthday a little bit, he figured a place called The Hike Inn would be pretty fitting! And he was not wrong on that assumption, considering that even just getting to the place required a hike from the state park's visitors' center, so when they arrived yesterday, there was a little bit of exploration there before they headed out to the lodge deep in the foothills of northern Georgia.

They didn't entirely have the place all to themselves, but, since it was definitely at the tail end of the prime hiking season, it was still pretty quiet, and those who were also staying there or passing through were enthusiasts with shared interests that Gladio, at least, enjoyed talking to when they did cross paths. But, for the most part, it was just him and Nell, laughing at the bunk beds in the cabins that he'd been prepared for, meaning their first night had been spent making slightly more room on the floor with some sleeping bags instead.

So then there they were on their big full day there, having some breakfast in the common area of the lodge with its comforting woodstove at the center of the room, light pouring through the windows that surrounded it, and Gladio was pouring over the hiking map for the area.

"Hey, look at this," he said, with a grin, turning the map and pointing at some of the information on top for Nell to read, "they've detailed some of the more interesting plants and things that grow along the trail, too. That's kind of neat."

The whole place was, really. The survivalist in him appreciated all the eco-friendly nods to conservation, the fact that it was built on stilts to have less impact on the earth, the solar panels running the place....he was even kind of excited to check out their worm beds later that evening, so he was feeling pretty good about this pick, that was for sure.

The great company certainly didn't hurt, either.

[[ for the little lady with him (or anyone who wants to get in touch) and nfb for distance, of course! ]]

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43 Unicorn Street; Monday Evening [11/11].

2024-11-11T21:39:57Z

Gladio had not run his usual errands that Monday. Training, yes. Errands? No way. Today was Nell's birthday, and he decided that one of the things he was going to do for her was surprise her by trying to make her dinner for a nice relaxing evening.

A dinner that wasn't Cup Noodle^TM!

(Although she should only be so lucky!)

He'd consulted with Iggy, of course, for ideas for something easy enough that even he could pull it off, and, with it being fall and all, he decided he'd try his hand at a nice, meaty, spicy chili that he felt was honestly going pretty well!

He was much less confident in the cornbread he tried to make (from a box, don't get too excited), and he already knew the cake looked a hot mess, but that was part of its charm, right? It was kind of lopsided and tge green icing was kind of messy, but that was how you knew it was definitely made with love.

He was definitely feeling pretty convinced to keep leaving the cooking to other people, though.

[[ for she with the birthday! ]]

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43 Unicorn Street; Monday Evening [09/09].

2024-09-09T20:55:43Z

With all his usual Monday errands to keep him busy, Gladio was pretty unaware of anything else going on on the island that might have left an impact on the usual Mondau night gathering, as quiet as they'd been lately, but he could tell, coming home when he was done, that something was definitely different about tonight. The vibe was off, the energy, and it instantly had him a bit worried and checking his phone to make sure he hadn't missed any important messages. But seeing none, he just dropped his things off in the kitchen and went searching for where Nell and the kittens may have wound up.

"Nell?" Honestly, at this point, checking the roof was likely the winning choice, and so it was there he headed first. "You up here?"

[[ mostly for the little woods witch tonight, although definitely open if anyone still does want to end up stopping by! ]]

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A Home Improvement Store on the Mainland; Wednesday Afternoon [07/24].

2024-07-24T11:02:01Z

With Nell being busy with her plants this time of year and her beekeeping, and with everything going on with Iggy and life in general lately, Gladio figured they were a little overdue for carving out some time to just sort of do something together, maybe not one of their big getaways into the woods or anything, but just a nice date night, in their own low-key sort of way.

Which he decided meant getting some ice cream on the mainland and hanging out in a park for a while, as a callback to what was really probably their first date, and probably grabbing something to eat at a nice (but not too nice!) place before heading back home. And, in the middle, a little bit of a....he'll call it surprise field trip.

To a home improvement store.

But not just because he was absolutely that kind of guy! He also had another mission here, but he was going to get to it soon enough, as they sauntered up into the big, sprawling store. He sort of wanted to see if Nell could guess the reason he'd brought her here before they got to that section or not.

He'd have to stay pretty focused, though, because the temptation to go poking around for stuff for other projects was pretty strong, too.

[[ for that Bossy Lady, and NFB for distance! ]]

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Soulwood; Sunday Morning [03/17].

2024-03-17T18:53:58Z

Nell had told Gladio that he was making breakfast that morning, partially as a joke, no doubt, but anyone who'd met Gladio would know that he took jokes very seriously. And when he realized that this would very likely be the very first time a man had ever used the kitchen at Soulwood, well, that's when he knew he would be locked in. He was going to make oatmeal that morning, godsdammit, even if that meant he wound up burning the whole house down because of it.

(There was, after all, a part of him that thought burning this house down might be the best thing for it, but he was trying not to think too hard on that).

He didn't really think much of it, because it was oatmeal, anyone could make oatmeal, and he expected it might be a little different because of Nell's warnings about using the woodstove, but how much different could it actually be?

Different enough, it would seem, that he was pretty sure he'd ruined this pot entirely. Frowning, holding it up, Gladio tried poking at what had become a pretty much charred lump of what could have been oatmeal at the bottom of the pan with a knife to see if he could get it off, but no such luck. There was a firm smack of the pot on the side of the counter, but all that did was make a sound and dent the pot (which was ruined anyway, but, well, looks like he owed Nell a new pot...).

So, with a sigh, Gladio just tossed the ruined pot of failed oatmeal into the sink, ran some water into it in case that ended up helping, and went to fish out another one.

"Okay," he murmured to himself, setting the pot aside and going to carefully measure out some ingredients all over again, "round two."

He was pretty sure he knew where he'd gone wrong and things would go better this time around, but if he still managed to mess this up, he was honestly going to call it a win if he could manage to eke something edible off of this stove without having to admit defeat to Nell or call Ignis for advice.

[[ and obviously for the bossy woman whose pans didn't deserve this, and NFB for distance ]]

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43 Unicorn Street; Saturday [02/03].

2024-02-03T11:19:13Z

Gladio should have probably been taking it easy, after Wednesday, and after being a horse for a day after that, but it wasn't really in his nature. And even though things had been fine, the city had been saved, Liliana got her daemon, no one ~~important~~'s life had even been drained from them this time. They'd fought well, and for more than a year off of the daemon hunting gig, it was kind of impressive, but he could still feel the rust and dust on it, and he could feel the fact that they definitely weren't the hale and hearty fresh-faced twenty-somethings they used to be, either.

So he was sticking with it, even if it was just himself for now, with the usual early morning run and then some time at the gym with his sword, going over the flashes of battle that hadn't worked quite as well as he'd have liked and working on smoothing out those wrinkles. Then back home to shower up, get some food in him, and then maybe go find himself a book and hopefully a Nell or some kittens to get comfortable with before figuring out if all this was something that needed examining, or was just best left behind as they moved on...

Shower taken care of, he made his way into the kitchen, to check and see what kind of leftovers or something quick to throw together might be hanging around, although, really, it was no surprise that he was just likely to lean toward that wholesome, comforting deliciousness that could only come from a piping-hot container of the finest Cup Noodle^TM this world had to offer!

[[ mostly for some sp with that little lady he lives with, but definitely open if anyone else would like to get in touch! ]]

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A Primland Resort Tree House; North Carolina, Saturday [12/09].

2023-12-09T13:48:55Z

This little get-away spot that Gladio had planned would have been pretty perfect a few weeks ago, when he'd actually originally planned to whisk Nell off for a belated birthday trip, only to miss out on it on it due to being a kid, but he really hoped that it was early enough into December that it wouldn't have gotten too cold and bleak for them to go now. Especially since one of his main reasons for choosing the Primland Resort was how much it was touted as an excellent place for stargazing.

The other reason he'd picked it were its Tree House cabins, which were clearly just too perfect to pass up. And so, up bright and early to make the most of their time and to squeeze in a good breakfast before hitting their portal because they'd need the energy for the hike just to get to their lodgings, Gladio and Nell made their way up through the woods and the mountains to reach their destination.

"Well," Gladio announced, with a pleased and satisfied sigh at how this was all shaping up to pretty much how he'd imagined it would have been, opening the door with a little gentlemanly gesture to welcome Nell in first, "here we are. Home sweet home, for the next two days, at least. But, if we hate it," he threw Nell a wink, "I did bring a tent, too."

[[ for the belated birthday girl, and NFB for distance, of ~course~! ]]

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43 Unicorn Street; Saturday Morning [12/02].

2023-12-02T10:02:30Z

Yesterday, Gladio had found himself an unexpected (and entirely voluntary!) outcast from his own apartment, and after failing to find refuge over at the Perk, he knew he would definitely find it over at Nell's. He'd even managed to get a good deal of that reading in, too.

And now that it was the next morning, there was breakfast to be had. Nell was back to being at the crux of it, with Gladio there to help, but mostly, he would be in charge of the oatmeal.

All the while, singing a little under his breath:

"When you said yesterday that it's nearly Christmas
What did I want and I thought just love me, love me, love me
That's what I want for Christmas..."

Which was funny, because Gladio didn't even really KNOW a lot of Christmas songs, nor was he entirely aware that he had been kind of singing one.

[[ for the oh-so-delicately modded Queen of Breakfast, of course! ]]

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43 Unicorn Street; Saturday Morning [11/18].

2023-11-18T13:32:52Z

Not that there was really any reason to need an excuse to stay over at Nell's these days, but last night actually had been a very practical sleepover, since Gladio had made some plans for a nice little belated birthday weekend get-away with Nell, and it was just that much more convenient for catching their portal in the morning, because, of course, he wanted to get some good hiking in at their destination before they got around to the nice rest and relaxation in the little cabin in the mountains he'd booked.

Clearly, however, that morning, things were....not exactly going to plan.

Because....well, you know how this one went. When Gladio did finally wake up, yawning and stretching and frowning a little over the fact that he'd slept in, which meant that he'd probably missed his chance to sneak in on the Crownsguard training that morning, he was also a little confused by another person in the bed with him. He groaned a little, rolling his eyes, thinking it was Iris having snuck in because she was scared or just being kind of a brat, but it was pretty obvious this wasn't his sister pretty quickly. Some friend of hers, maybe? Someone brought in to help take care of her, like the King had that Scientia boy take care of the Prince?

Well, whatever it was, it wasn't his problem. His problem right now was that the Crownsguard was probably half into all the good forms by now, and if he didn't hurry up, he'd miss all of the good training, and then the Marshall would give him a lecture about tardiness, or, even worse, he'd get it from his dad! So he wasn't going to pay any mind to the little girl as he pulled back the covers, rolled out of bed, and tried to get his bearings a moment, trying to find some shoes and wondering if he'd have time to coax a quick breakfast out of the cook before he rushed off to the Citadel.

[[ for she whose place this actually is! ]]

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The Apartment above the Photo Hut; Wednesday Evening [10/25].

2023-10-25T13:15:27Z

Today was Prompto's birthday, and so Ignis and Gladio were doing their part by pulling babysitting duty so that he and Liz could just sort of get out for a little while and have some time to themselves.

Well, as much as anyone could right now with those TV headed guys running around everywhere with their promos and credit cards and special rewards programs, anyway. Which meant that honestly? Just spending some time inside watching the kid and not having to deal with any of that sounded pretty nice right about now, anyway.

Ignis was, naturally, invading their kitchen to whip up some fresh baby food, as well as a cake for Prompto when he got back (assuming he hadn't filled up on cheesecake anyway!) and some leftovers of his favorite dishes because the man had a million jobs, the convenience of some food he could just grab on the go probably had an appeal, while Gladio was chilling in the living room going through all of Noctra's toys to keep her entertained and occupied, occasionally even reading a few books to her, though he was clearly making a case for her favoriting the adorable little kitty Cup Noodles^TM plushie he'd brought for her and/or the little workout set for her, too.

Never hurt to get started early, right?

(Well, actually, both the men in this apartment right now could make a case for how, actually, yeah, you really could start too early, but anyway...)

And, turns out, military history was not that engaging for someone who was not even a year old yet. Who knew.

Rain was also meandering between the two of them, mostly disappointed that Ignis wasn't nearly as liberal about feeding her pieces of whatever he was cooking with as Prompto was and highly suspicious of the fact that both these guests in her home smelled like other cats.

[[ post is open if anyone would like, albeit a bit slow on my end! ]]

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A Nice Shaded Clearing in the Preserve; Late Monday Afternoon [08/21].

2023-08-21T10:12:49Z

Sure, the weather was insisting yet again on being hot and humid, but Nell and Gladio had decided they were going to have a picnic that day, and so a picnic they would still have! Maybe it would start to cool down as they headed into evening, anyway, and besides, Gladio was never that bothered by hot weather, anyway.

Even with a shirt on.

So when Nell was finished with work, he swung by to pick her up so they could get things for the picnic together and head out. He knew the preserve very well at this point (best to avoid the woods on the other end of the island for now, really), so he felt he knew a good spot that would be cool and comfortable, with just enough shade from the surrounding trees and close enough to the shore to maybe sometimes get a little bit of a refreshing sea breeze coming off of the ocean.

But, of course, a second opinion on the matter was vital.

"Think this'll work?" he asked, turning to his companion in this particular excursion, with all the confidence that she'd approve because, well...he knew how to pick a good spot.

[[ for she who was egregiously modded for lovely date tiems~ ]]

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43 Unicorn Street; Sunday Morning [08/13].

2023-08-13T10:52:25Z

Gladio had never been prone to nightmares, or even just dreams in general, and, even with everything that had happened, last night was no exception. In fact, he'd slept more deeply and soundly than he had in a while, with maybe just a little bit of snoring for when he'd really gotten into it.

He wasn't usually prone to sleeping in, either, but that, he seemed to make a little bit of an exception for, although it was still fairly early when he eventually drifted out of slumber, and was almost immediately hit with everything that had transpired since two Mondays ago, when he'd disappeared into that house, but especially everything that had happened yesterday. His hand immediately drifted to his chest; if he'd had any dreams last night, it was about that, the moment Enkidu removed herself from his skin and left him, because out of everything the house had done to him, that one stuck, and filled him less with fear as it did just melancholy, although there was some fear in there, too, and the question of who was he, really, without her and everything she stood for?

Thoughts for another time, maybe, because, right now, he was waking up in Nell's (spare) bed (shirt on, of course), looking up at the ceiling overhead as other, more immediate questions started to line up in his brain. And the first one out of all of them? Just to see if Nell had really kept her word to the letter about not letting her out of her sights, and turning his head to see if she was still there.

[[ for Nell. Obviously. ]]

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Patterson Park; Baltimore, Maryland; Saturday [07/29].

2023-07-29T10:08:28Z

The heat was definitely still persisting, which made Gladio think that maybe his grand plan of finding an ice cream place on the mainland near a park, so that he and Nell could make their picks and then go take a nice walk while they enjoyed it was...a little less than ideal. But there was some good shady spots and the ice cream itself did a lot to help...assuming they could eat it before it melted too much. The heat never really did bother Gladio too much, though; he just mostly hoped that Nell wasn't too uncomfortable with it.

And, if he was entirely honest, even though Baltimore was pretty tiny compared to Insomnia, it did sort of feel good to be in a metropolitan area proper again. After all, even with all his love of nature and the outdoors, he was at his roots a born and bred city boy. Made him feel a little homesick, but what didn't, really?

None of that really mattered that much, anyway, as long as Nell was having a good time, so he'd of course be sparing her a few speculative glances here and there, and, at one point, letting out a soft huff in regards to the quick work he was making out of his ice cream cone.

"Might need to swing back around for a Round Two," he speculated, with a bite to really highlight that, between the battle between the heat and Gladio's appetite, the winner was clearly the latter.

[[ for the ice cream date~ and NFB for distance, obvi~ ]]

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MHA #18; Wednesday Afternoon [03/29].

2023-03-29T11:29:54Z

Well, if he was out and about substituting for Prompto's class, Gladio figured he might as well take care of a few errands, picking up a few things on his way back to the apartment for dinner, swinging by the Perk to pick up a few coffees, and then heading in with a jaunty call of "Iggy! I'm ho~ome!" and a chuckle as he walked in. He set the grocery bags and the tray of coffees and the mail he'd picked up from their mailbox (junk mail, mostly, who would be sending them letters or whatever anyway?) and then idly added, "I picked up coffee. And they didn't have that thing you wanted from Turtle & Canary, so I picked up--"

And while Gladio's arrival had certainly gotten Ignis' attention, it was the sudden and abrupt cut-off of his words that pulled Ignis from his bedroom with a frown. "Gladio?" he asked, certainly hoping that he wasn't starting to hear things, because that would be....well, quite frankly, a nightmare of logistics for him, so he carefully made his way toward the door and the table with his frown deepening, as he couldn't sense Gladio's presence, either.

"Gladio, are you here?" he asked, reaching the table, and...well, there were the grocery bags, the tell-tale shape of a to-go cup from the coffee shop, and yet, there was no--

Ignis felt his foot kick against something, something that then subsequently tilted over, fell to the floor, just hard enough to fill the next moment with the sound of a tell-tale crack of pottery.

Ignis grunted, heaving a heavy sigh, although, really, it always started with Prompto, didn't it? He should hardly be surprised, but that wasn't going to stop him from letting out a disparaging little "Not again" as he went to go find a broom and a nice, roomy spare vase...

[[ ALSO mostly establishly, but open for anyone who might want to swing by/get in touch, with an sp caveat ]]

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MHA #18; Early Friday Morning [12/16].

2022-12-16T12:30:44Z

"You seem quiet," said Gladio, setting down the plates of breakfast he'd just finished making, then pulling out a chair to join him at the table. "Thinking more about yesterday's ~~oh so handwavey~~ encounter?"

"Rather hard not to," Ignis replied dryly. He'd, of course, reported back to Gladio the moment he'd returned to the apartment: soon after he'd left the Photo Hut, still rather bewildered over his discussion with Liz, he found himself face to face with none other than Ardyn Izunia, in the flesh, and dragging along with him none other than some sort of Magitek daemon soldier the likes of which he'd only really seen once in his lifetime, that encounter with Ravus Nox Flueret, after being exposed to the Starscourge directly. And as if the implications of Ardyn's return, in the company of a daemon that could actually withstand the light weren't disturbing enough on its own, there was the matter of the exchange that followed after he and his new pet attacked Ignis. Claiming that things were...off. They weren't quite right. How was it that he was the Shield, that he had the Sword? And what did that mean for the other one, which he could only assume meant Gladio. Was he now the one who saw things that others could not? Ardyn had tsked at the prospect, as if disappointed, while Ignis deftly avoided his advances, as well as those of the daemon monster beside him. He was, admittedly, a bit distracted in the moment, but he could swear, underneath the Starscourge and smoke, that creeping black ichor and the throbbing purple veins, he'd seen that face before...

...not even an hour before, in a picture, from Liz's phone.

He'd told Gladio all about that, as well, and, of course, their immediate thought was to try and strategize. Ardyn had left Ignis alone after a while, claiming that things just weren't right, and he needed to attend to why, but there was nothing unusual about that. They were used to the man's mind games, and clearly this was no exception.

"Nothing about this feels right, Gladio," he said. "Nothing makes sense. I know we never truly knew what happened between Ardyn and Noct, but your visions..."

"I know," said Gladio, quietly, a gentle suggestion that he'd rather not be reminded of the things he saw, that night, when the man in question himself nearly put an end to it all, if not for his desperate sacrifice.

"We simply must find him," Ignis decided firmly.

To that, Gladio let out a sardonic huff. "Knowing Ardyn," he said, "he'll have no trouble finding us first."

"Exactly," Ignis agreed. "All the more reason to be proactive and ready. And I can't help but wonder...do you suppose it would reap any benefits, if we were to inquire of Liz about this daemon he has with him?"

But Gladio gently shook his head, shoving a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "Sounds like she's got more than enough to worry about right now without adding that to it," he said. "Besides, you said you didn't get that good of a look, right? Could have just been your mind playing a trick on you. That's sort of Ardyn's trick du jour, too, remember?"

There was a deep frown punctuating the silence that followed. "Perhaps you're right," he said. "There was much to process at the time, but the resemblance, even through the Starscourge, was uncanny..."

Gladio just grunted his response, as he kept digging into his food. They were going to need the energy to deal with whatever was about to be thrown at them, he was sure of that much, so they'd better enjoy it while they could.

[[ open! ]]

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MHA #18; Wednesday Afternoon [11/09].

2022-11-09T10:28:46Z

Having so much spare time on his hands was still something Gladio was getting used to, and there were times when it felt downright surreal, really. But he'd be lying if he said it wasn't kind of nice, every once in a while, to have a quiet afternoon where he could just sit and read and not have to worry about anything else. He'd even picked up a few new books and was finally getting the chance to dive into one that was vaguely topical to a conversation he'd had recently. Ignis was out getting stuff for dinner later, Goose was probably off in Ignis' room doing whatever goose things he did when Ignis went on a particularly independent streak, he had some tea, the apartment had come with a good sturdy armchair...

....and it was nice. He could almost get used it. He didn't particularly want to, all things considered, but it was a moment that made him think that, if he was going to be stuck somewhere, at least it was somewhere that afforded him certain creature comforts he'd been mostly denied for the past ten years.

Even if surreal really only seemed the tip of the iceberg there...

[[ some goose-related shenanigans are expected, but the post is very open! ]]

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Outside of Atlas Gym; Late Thursday Morning [09/29].

2022-09-29T10:10:08Z

Gladio had been running a bit late that morning, which didn't happen often, which meant that Iris and Ignis were really never going to stop letting him hear about it. But, look, sometimes, you just got into a groove with your workout, and then there were about a thousand messages to get through on your phone because rebuilding an entire world was a pretty demanding business, and then you got distracted by one particular message that brought some of the best news you could have asked for, that they'd recovered the Cup Noodle^TM factory and damage was minimal and they believed they could get production started back up again by the end of next month....

Oh, they were definitely going out and celebrating tonight!

But Gladio finally managed to hurry out the door, into the bright streets of Insomnia, with a faint wince at the light that still threw him off a little on a cloudless day like today, and he took two steps forward from the door before he remembered something for Iris that he'd left on the counter, and so he turned around to go back to get it...

....only to reach out for a door that was definitely not the door to the apartment he'd been staying in while they worked this part of the city, and, instead, was the door to....a gym? A familiar gym, but one he hadn't seen for a very long time, and, with a horrible feeling creeping over him, Gladio took a step back to confirm this impossible suspicion as he looked at the sign.

And then turned to look at the street around him, which was not the once-bustling, quickly rebuilding metropolis of Insomnia, but the quiet little Old World charm of Fandom Island.

"What the fu--"

A series of chimes started to emanate from the phone in his pocket, alerting him to a slew of messages hitting all at once, and he dug out his phone to see what was up and just sort of...stared for a moment. Because the bulk of them seemed to have come from Prompto. Within the last month. And that was when he also noticed the year on all of them, which now also matched the year on his phone.

2022. Not 766.

"Fuck."

[[ oh. hey. it's open :) ]]

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Outside the Citadel, Insomnia; Lucis, Eos. Thursday, 09/16 766. [09/15 FT].

2022-09-15T14:03:50Z

When they woke again, there was no way of knowing how much time had passed, but they had been moved, outside the Citadel, and rain had began to fall. Noctis had returned, crouched over them, and he explained what had transpired since Ardyn knocked them out.

And what the next step must be.

( So this is farewell. )

[[ we may be at the end of Final Fantasy XV, but things are far from over. NFB, NFI, OOC always welcome, and just a bit more to come ]]

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Insomnia; Lucis, Eos. Thursday, 09/16 766. [09/15 FT].

2022-09-15T10:17:50Z

After fighting their way through the daemon clogged streets of Insomnia, still overrun by the last remaining factions of the still-clinging Niflheim Empire, the area around the felt Citadel shockingly untouched. If it weren't for what they'd all just been through, the struggle it was to reach these gates again, and the darkness that still surrounded them, it would almost feel like it had been, those ten long years ago, when they'd approached those steps for the last time to meet with Regis in the throne room to see Noctis off on his fateful journey.

And, of course, someone was already there, waiting, though he moved toward them as they approached, his steps slow and steady on the concrete beneath his feet.

( Ifrit! The Infernian. He doesn't share the Glacian's fondness for mankind. )

And with those words, Ardyn thrust out his hand sharply, sending out three bursts of dark purple light. They went sailing straight past Noctis, each one finding and smashing into the chests of his friends; with started grunts, they went flying back, fighting against the magic as it surrounded them with a black fog.

Fighting against it, however, proved futile.

They had no place in this, a battle of kings.

And so Noctis would have to move forward....alone.

[[ taken from the absolute mess of Final Fantasy XV's Chapter 14: 'Homecoming'. NFB, NFI, TBC! *inserts anticipatory heavy breathing* ]]

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The Leville; Lestallum,Cleigne; Eos. Sunday, April 2nd, 757 ET [ 07/17 FT].

2022-07-17T11:10:27Z

Gladio definitely knew something was up. Even if he hadn't known what day it was, Prompto and Iris had rolled back into town yesterday and hadn't stopped exchanging smirks and glances since. If he hadn't been aware of what day it was, he might have actually been a little bit concerned about those looks between them. But it was the same energy that Prompto had had a few months ago, in February, when he'd tracked down Coctura after having disappeared for about a week collecting ingredients to make a veritable feast (as close to one as anyone could get these days, anyway), for Ignis' birthday.

And, well...

( Today's was Gladio's birthday. )

And Gladio was left looking at the Cup Noodle^TM container in his hand, shaking his head again, and then glanced over at Prompto with a faint smile. "Thanks," he said.

And Prompto, despite the fact that he was clearly proud of himself (and with good reason!) for this one, just sort of shrugged, ducking his head, never really able to escape the pervasive undercurrent of sadness to everything for too long. "Don't even mention it," he said. "Happy birthday, man."

[[ nfi, nfb obviously, paying respects to the almighty Cup Noodle^TM always welcome, as we realize the TRUE tragedy of the Apocalypse is the Cup Noodle^TM we've lost along the way ]]

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Zegnautus Keep; Gralea, Niflheim, Eos. Wednesday, 07/13, 756 ET [06/27 FT].

2022-06-27T20:12:43Z

Ahead of them in the chamber at the top of Zegnautus Keep was a simple throne of sorts, where a white robe lay like a corpse, retaining hints of the shape of the body that it once contained now gone. An eerie, disturbing visual, but their attention went instead to the rows of electrical equipment flanking the room. Noctis took one look at those consoles and monitors and wires and lifted his sword, driving the blade into a section with a shower of sparks. A few more similar stabs, and, eventually, the entire thing started to falter and quiet into darkness and disrepair, as the whirring sounds that had lead them there disappeared.

Prompto looked around nervously. "Sooooo," he ventured, "did it, uh, work?"

"With the device down and out," Ignis observed, "Noct's powers should be up and running."

( Go on, try it. --CW for death of a significant NPC. )

Gladio growled with discomfort at the idea, at how it would all lead to this. All that work, coming back together, only to have to have Noctis go on ahead without them. It didn't feel right. It didn't feel good. But the daemons were unrelenting, and they really didn't have much of a choice. They'd have to trust Noct. They'd have to believe in him.

So they cleared a path, and they made it to the elevator, the green light of its opening door a foreboding welcome. And Noctis slipped inside and started to descend, and all they could do now was just keep fighting….and hope.

[[ al...most...there! Part 5 of 6 for Final Fantasy XV Chapter 13, "Redemption," and nearly the end of my FF spam for the day...and for a while, too!

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The Streets of Gralea to Zegnautus Keep; Gralea, Niflheim, Eos. Wednesday, 07/13, 756 ET [06/27 FT].

2022-06-27T11:42:48Z

"Are we seriously marching into the capital empty-handed?" Gladio complained, as they started forward, over wreckage and through a maze of overturned train cars, carefully helping Ignis over the obstacles and failing to keep his annoyance at their current situation tampered down.

"And with no assurances," Ignis responded with a sigh, "the Crystal can beat back the daemon hordes."

"Guess we'll find out the hard way," Gladio sighed, shaking his head. "No turning back now, though, right?"

( Hardly the grand and glorious march in to take back the Crystal any of them would have imagined.... )

They both seemed to take a moment to let that settled before Gladio shook his head and began to move again, away from the monitors and consoles. "Let's move," he said. "If that's what he did to Ravus, there's no telling what he'll do to Noct. But it does look like Ardyn's bought himself some time."

"Then we've none to waste," Ignis noted. "We need to find Noct before he does."

[[ and there goes Part 2 of 6 of Final Fantasy XV Chapter 13 "Redemption," or, as I like to call it, the Empire is filled with a bunch of daemonophile chucklefucks, how did these maniacs actually manage to take over anything, much less the entire world? But anyway.... ]]

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Lestallum; Cleige; Eos; Wednesday [06/08].

2022-06-08T09:50:54Z

"Rise and shine, Prince Charming!" Aranea's droll sing-song pulled them out of the less than comfortable slumber that had overtaken them, lulled by the quiet engines of the Commodor's rumbling airship on their way back to Lestallum. "We're here."

With creaking gears and complaining metal, she opened the gangplank of the ship and flooded the holding back with bright light from the new morning, to a chorus of groans and complaints from at least two of her passengers. They said their goodbyes and hopped off the ship, and took to the task of finding Cindy's friend up at the power plant.

( AND THEN THERE WAS THE ULTIMATE FLAVOR EXPERIENCE )

"I know I sure do!!" Noctis chimed in brightly, which overwhelming sincerity and not even a trace of irony in it. Not. At. All.

All that was left missing at that point was a cheeky wink to the camera, as the sun began to set on yet another fulfilling adventure and the ultimate Cup Noodle^TM experience.

[[ LIKE I WASN'T GOING TO DO THE CUP NOODLE QUEST. This is actual dialogue from this actual game. proof, top notch A+, 110% best part of the game It's just so SUBTLE AND NUANCED. Ray Chase's delivery on that last line? *chef's kiss* perfection ]]

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The Tempering Grounds; Taelpar Crag in Cleigne; Eos. Tuesday [06/07].

2022-06-07T21:55:50Z

"Did you tell your friends why you were taking off?" Cor asked, as they descended down into Taelpar Crag, the deep, deep canyon that cut through Cleigne like a scar, where the Tempering Grounds and its ancient ruins and lost souls awaited them.

Gladio shook his head as he moved, into the caverns that would lead them through the ruins…broken crates, empty barrels, and tattered banners draped from grim statues and the long since rotted corpses of armored soldiers, all lit by strange lanterns alit from runes on the ground.. "Just said it was 'business.' Didn't want 'em getting all worried about me."

( Or knowing that your pride took a beating. )

"You know," he mentioned, once they made it out, on their way back to the world as they knew it, "he mentioned he lost his arm in battle with a real hot-headed young guy back in the day."

"That so?"

"Whoever it was left a lasting impression on him," said Gladio. "Talked about how the guy had the strongest will he'd ever seen."

"Takes more than will to complete the trial," Cor pointed out. "You need to wield your weapon with a primal finesse. If you fail to prove your might, you get cast out empty-handed."

"I dunno," Gladio hedged. "He didn't seem to think the guy would let it bother him. Said the guy's too old to care about material things anymore. If he's still alive."

"Gladio," the Marshal stopped behind him, and Gladio, sensing it, stopped, too, and turned around. "I hope you feel more confident in light of your success today. Few men can lay claim to such an accomplishment. Not even Cor the Immortal."

"Yeah," Gladio allowed, "but I didn't earn myself a badass nickname like he did. Still…I'm glad I went through with it. I can finally say I'm truly ready to fulfill my duty."

"Good."

"Well," Gladio let out a yawn, rolling his shoulders back and stretching a little, as if he hadn't just been put through one of the most physically exhausting ordeals of his entire life, one that no man but one other had ever survived, "I guess this Shield better mosey on back to his King. Wouldn't want him to get scared without me."

He put a hand on Cor's shoulder, meant for camaraderie but discovering that the exhaustion of the whole ordeal had finally caught up with him, and he might have actually needed a little bit of Cor's strength now that the adrenaline was fading. "Maybe," he suggested, a moment later, "after I get some rest, anyway."

[[ and end Episode Gladiolus! This long-ass text lifted pretty directly straight from the episode, NFB, NFI, and please know that anyone who even deigned to skim all this, let alone actually read it is kind of my hero, but I seriously had a blast writing this up while playing through it for the first time, actually ]]

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The Crow's Nest Diner in the Taelpar Rest Area; Cleigne; Eos. Tuesday [06/07 FT].

2022-06-07T09:48:11Z

Even if he didn't particularly show it, Gladiolus Amicitia had been carrying a heavy weight on his broad shoulders ever since suffering humbling defeat at the hands of Ravus Nox Fleuret, nearly one week ago. Were it not for the Chancellor's interference, Noctis would surely have been dead, or at least apprehended by Imperial forces, and Gladio...would have failed at the only thing that mattered, to serve and protect as Shield of the King.

It had become glaringly obvious to him that he was, after all this time, proven to be unworthy.

And there was only one way in which that worth could ever even hope to be reinstated.

( Gladio made his way through the wilderness, alone now, but not for long... )

His head hung only for a moment, though, before he used the movement to slip off of his stool and onto his feet. "Let's move."

[[NFB, NFI, OOC welcome, and TBC. Episode Gladio's a big one…just like the man himself ]]

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