(no subject)

[callmegladio]

♥ Who: Gladio and OTA.
♥ Where: Everywhere.
♥ When: January 3rd.
♥ What: Gladio finding his feet and meeting the locals.
♥ Rating: PG-13




Another Strange Place:
[Gladio had been walking toward a small group of children, smiling as disarmingly as a man as large and seemingly intimidating as he could. The adults were nowhere to be seen, aside from some of the elderly. He'd hoped to gain some information. Anything, to help...

But between one step and the next... everything went dark. Not not a bad kind of dark. It felt... strange...

... When Gladio opened his eyes to see sky above him, white clouds, blue, clear sky... He turned his head slightly to see... nothing he expected. Instead of rustic houses, dirt paths, wooden fences and children at play, he saw white. White pillars and columns shaped like trees. Red and white ornaments. Strange looking birds. And he was laying down in the centre of it all.

He rose slowly, turned and dropped his legs over the edge of slab of carved stone he lay upon. When Gladio looked down he still wore the same clothes he'd been wearing (black leather pants, dark brown tunic, black cloak), so at least that hadn't changed. There was a sigh as he lifted a hand to scrub across his face.]

Damn train's done it again...

[Was this a side mission? Why had he been pulled away? And where was everyone else? When Gladio looked at his wrist he frowned, his SCA was gone. That didn't bode well. He was just contemplating calling out when a strange robot approached him... and that's where Gladio found out that he wasn't in Irivar anymore.

He was lead from the stone slab into another area to find more robots... he was handed a tablet, some local currency... and sent him on his way.

Gladio stepped out of the, what was it? He looked back and up. Temple... definitely a temple. He stepped out... and immediately sat himself down on the steps in the snow to try and work his head around what the hell he'd gotten himself into this time.]


A Teeny Tiny Fortune:
[Having noticed the strange booth, Gladio approached curiously. These robots were a strange thing, but so was the box that he was handed. He shook it as directed, a small, amused smile on his lips.

Then he was given a piece of paper.]

"The smallest things can bring the biggest rewards." Huh... good things in small packages, right? Thanks.

[Still looking very amused, Gladio shoved the paper in his pocket and turned to go.]


Stuck On You:
[Apparently he needed to look for a place to live. This was a big step up from a small room with a smaller bed shared between four people.

Gladio had taken his cloak off and had it wrapped over one hand. The laces of his leather tunic had been loosened and he was considering just taking that off as well, but figured near stripping in the middle of the street could be frowned upon.

He was so distracted by his surroundings that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. Gladio bumped into someone. Automatically he reached out to stop whoever he ran into from hitting the ground... except that never happened. Wait, why couldn't he let go?]

Sorry! You okay?


Taking Stock:
[He'd found his way to the centre of the city it seemed. He'd found a fountain, an interesting structure that Gladio stood for a while, just looking at. He moved around it slowly, looking at all angles, before he sat himself down on the edge.

He stretched his legs out in front of himself and sighed.

So far this place didn't seem to have anything in common with where he had been before... He was starting to get a sinking feeling.

It was cold, there was snow everywhere, but nothing that was going to bother him so much that he was rushing to get indoors. He'd spent so much time inside over the last few months, even the snow was welcome.]


Home Away From Home:
[Houses... Small houses bunched together... And he was supposed to find one.]

Right... so how the hell does this work?

[Gladio walked up the street, then down it again, before he stopped in front of a house that appeared to be vacant. The tablet thing claimed it was unoccupied, so he walked on in.

After having a look around, he laughed to himself and did what was necessary to become the new owner... and then dropped himself down on sofa. Well and truly done.]


Wildcard:
[If you have another idea for a prompt, have at it, I'll run with anything. Though if you'd like to contact me I can be found on plurk and discord: JustAnotherUsername | Theo#4816 - poke me as needed![

Comments

Stuck On You

[5thchild]

[ having someone bumping into him is no problem. To be fair, they will soon learn that getting stuck is hardly a problem to kaworu, too. As Gladio reaches out to hold on to Kaworu's arm, his hand is now stuck there. ]

I'm alright. [ he really doesn't mind.

But his red eyes settle on Gladio's hand. While he doesn't really say anything, he does wonder why he keeps holding on ]

[callmegladio]

[Gladio is wondering that exact same thing. It's not like he's just copping a feel or anything, it's clear he's trying to pull his hand away, but it just ain't budging.]

Uh... hey, kid?

[His eyes, a warm brown, a very confused brown, turn to the younger man's.]

Any reason you'd be made of super glue?

[5thchild]

[ kaworu watches Gladio pulling his hand - and consequently, his arm ]

I am not. I don't have such ability. [ never did, in fact ] Perhaps you do?

stuck on you 1/2

[iustaegis]

[ She had been walking back from her previous townhouse, carrying a basket of sylleblossoms (not only blue, but reds and whites as well), when she suddenly finds herself almost falling over from an accidental push--

--Ah. Or, not falling over, because she's stuck to someone. It's a far more common occurrence than one might think in this world, and so, not particularly bothered by it, she straightens and turns, meaning to smile at whomever she's bothered, only to stop and stare. ]

Ah, you're.... Gladio.

[ Tall, strong, with deep brown eyes and a sincere, powerful voice-- she'd recognize him instantly. She knows who he is not through another Gladio having been here before, but through Noctis' memories and Prompto's photographs. ]

[iustaegis]

[ Now she smiles, quietly and sincerely. ] Oh, I'm sorry.

I mean-- welcome. To Havenwell.

[ Does Noctis know that he's here yet? Oh, he'll be so happy--

....Noctis is still recovering. Her expression falters, briefly, but she continues smiling. ] My name is Pyra.

[callmegladio]

[Gladio should have been paying attention, everything around him screamed that he should be paying better attention, but he'd been distracted by snow in a damn tree of all things. There were icicles hanging from it's branches and he had the strangest urge to flick one to see if it made a sound or just broke.

He never had a chance to see. Someone bumped into him.

Even if he hadn't been stricken with some sticking illness, the woman wouldn't have hit the ground, even a distracted Gladio was quick on his feet and he went to catch her before she so much as... Wait, she knew his name?]

...I know you?

[So far as he remembered he'd never met her, didn't know a Prya. But she knew his name.

He smiled, it was confused more than charming, though he tried.]

I'm sure I'd remember a beautiful woman like you. So I'm losing my mind.

fortune

[scourgingstars]

[A short distance away in the direction Gladio had turned was a particularly tired-looking but unquestionably familiar man in an oversized off-white sweater, long violet hair tied up in a ponytail. He was currently frowning in an uneasy concern at the fortune in his hand, looking as if he was trying to figure out just what it actually meant. Then he sighed and shook his head, the paper vanishing in a flash of red light as he took a step to leave...]

[...and immediately fell flat on his face.]

[callmegladio]

[Gladio wasn't fast enough to catch Ardyn as he fell, so all he could do was wince as the guy face planted into the snow.

He took a few steps and then crouched down, head cocked to the side, lips curved in a smile that was both amused and sympathetic.]

Did the snow piss you off? Your attack needs some work.

[scourgingstars]

Apparently so... [He sat up to collect himself for a moment, brushing snow off of his shirt and out of his hair.] That was a bit strange, I must have caught my foot on something.

wildcard;

[carbungle]

[A few days bedrest and lots of snacks has Noctis feeling much better than he did last week, and what a relief it is to be out of bed. (Wild, coming from him, but it is what it is.) He knows better than to go far, though he'd love to just warp around the city; a brief buildup of energy doesn't mean he's back to normal again. So... taking it easy, first. Walking around the backyard, doing a few chores that Pyra or Ignis haven't managed to finish yet today, playing with Umbra.

He's in the middle of sweeping snow off the back steps with his boot (not exactly strenuous or kingly training, but it has him upright and testing how long he can stay that way, and it needs to me done) when Umbra suddenly sniffs the air, barks, and scampers through the yard and out the fence door, trotting down the street. Noctis huffs after him.]

Aren't you supposed to keep an eye on me? Geez...

[callmegladio]

[Gladio was just wandering around, checking out the sights and these more fancy homes. They were different from the one he'd commandeered for himself.

The snow had been cleared from the paths so his way was easy going. He just wished he had a jacket. He'd left his cloak back at the house, so wandering around was probably dumb, but he'd return soon enough. At least that had been the plan, until a familiar sight brought him up short.

He knelt down and held his hand out to the dog.]

Umbra... right?

[The dog was Lady Lunafreya's... that meant she was in this strange world too. Gladio filed that away for later and smiled at the dog.]

Think you'd take me to them?

Teeny Tiny

[pinkmin]

[And there, waiting patiently in line behind him for their own fortune, was a teeny tiny person. She looked up (and up! and up!!) at him, an apology for being in the way just there at the tip of her tongue.

Except-- he looked awfully familiar, didn't he? Certainly, she'd seen him before! It'd be very nice to meet him, she had thought. And since she had technically met the rest of them at least once already, that meant this was--]

...Ah! [It was a very quiet exclamation, even as she pointed up (and up and up) at him and continued on just as quietly.]

Gladio!

[callmegladio]

[A small voice called his name, and Gladio looked genuinely confused... until he looked down. Small. Pink hair. Big eyes. Gladio felt a sudden pang of sadness, but he pushed it back and stomped it down in favour of a grin. Then he crouched down, bringing himself down to her level as much as he could.]

You know me?

[Because he sure didn't know her!]

Another Strange Place

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Getting tossed around from world to world is pretty jarring, isn't it? Enough that nobody would blame someone for needing to take a breather wherever they find themselves, such as, say, the snowy steps of a temple.

It would be hard to miss the signs of someone looking so rattled, especially for someone who's been there as well as seeing it time and time again by now. He's not out for any particular reason today, just out on a walk, when he spots Gladio. This man seems... like he could use some direction.

He pulls his scarf a little more snugly in place as he hesitates for just a moment, before approaching.]

Excuse me, [he calls out gently, not wanting to startle him,] do you need any help...?

[callmegladio]

[Gladio was just looking over the strange tablet thing he'd been given, in an attempt to work it out, and sighed to himself. This is where he needed Prompto. Prompto was good with tech. He had no damn idea...

He didn't understand where he was, why he was there, or why he hadn't been given any information about the place. That's how missions went, right?

Unless this wasn't a mission... Gladio was just letting that thought sink in when a voice called to him. He looked up, a strange boy stood in the snow in front of him, and Gladio realised he must have looked like a crazy person sat in it.]

Depends. [He grinned and leaned forward, arms braced upon his knees.] What's the fastest way outta here?

Wildcard!

[blindedbyloyalty]

((a day after Gladio's thread with Noctis!))

[ To say that he's overworked is an understatement, even with Pyra's help, Ignis still pushed himself to take care of Noctis and Prompto. In light of what he's learned about Noctis almost dying, he'd been a lot more fussy over the prince.

Ignis is just out for a quick walk, needing to stretch his legs out for a bit. Both of his friends are getting better, which is the important part to Ignis.

He gets lost in his own head and missteps, cane slipping from his hand. An annoyed huff as he goes to pick it up, but his foot catches onto something and he's stumbling a bit, taking a fall. Well, this is embarrassing. He lets out an annoyed sigh and pushes his hand on the snow to get himself upright, but his hand slips out from underneath him. ]

Ugh.

[ Not in a good mood now, he stays on the snow-covered ground for a moment. What he'd do to piss the Gods off here?

He won't say no to the help if it's given to him, but Ignis will keep struggling to get up, failing another time and is flat on his face.

The problem? His foot is caught in the snow pretty good so that's stopping him from getting up proper...! ]

[callmegladio]

[It took Gladio far longer than he'd care to admit for him to realise the man he was looking at struggling in the snow, was one of his closest friends.

He looked... Lets just say it broke Gladio cold cold heart to see him like that.

He'd gone out into the world to investigate more. He'd found somewhere to buy a sweater, it was all he could really afford, but it kept him warmer than the tunic he'd arrived in so that was good enough for Gladio. And it was as he was walking around, that he stumbled on the guy in the snow. He'd not seen him fall, but he'd seen him try and get up.

And now he knew who it was, he was over there and crouching down beside him.]

Easy... [His tone is damn near gentle as he curls an arm around Ignis' waist to steady him.] You've hit an icy patch. You okay with me givin you a hand?

wildcard;

[this_loser]

((Some handful of days after Gladio's arrival.))

[It feels good to finally be out of bed, even if it's only to the living room. What he really wants is to get out and really stretch his legs, but it will probably take another day or two before he dares to go on a run. Personally, he wouldn't care much if it irritated his cough (it takes forever for a cough to go away - he can't wait forever!) or he caught another case of the sniffles, but Iggy's already put in too many hours, what with taking care of both him and Noct. He'd feel terrible undoing any bit of it just because he's antsy.

So here he is instead, perched sideways in a chair pulled as close to a window as possible, a mercat flopped over in his lap and a cup of steaming tea between his hands.]

[callmegladio]

[Yes, he'd been avoiding this.

Would he admit he'd been doing that? No. Even on pain of death.

But in the end he knew he couldn't do it forever, so he went to see Prompto. Maybe he should have asked permission first, or called ahead, but that was something to bother Future Gladio with. Right now just saw him trudging through the snow, each step bringing with it some imagined reunion, good, bad and downright terrible.

His brain could be a dick sometimes.

Gladio saw Prompto long before the blonde saw him. And he stood there for a minute, and nearly turned back. But he steeled himself and went up to the door... then side stepped and lightly tapped on the window. Then pointed at the door.

No point in Prompto getting up if he could get his attention and permission to come inside himself.]

Home Away From Home

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis is taking a rather meandering path to Valeo when he catches sight of a familiar silhouette. He pauses, blinking in surprise and that gives the figure just enough time to turn back toward him.

No, not who he thought, but at the same time, still someone he is not sad to see. He bets Noctis will be even happier.]

I'm fairly certain it's considered treasonous to keep a prince waiting so long, Shield.

[Despite the serious tone in Regis' voice, there is amusement in his eyes and it doesn't take long for that amusement to take the place of the serious tone.]

Hello, Gladiolus. You've grown a great deal since I last saw you.

[Astrals, son. You look so much like your dad did back in the day. It's just a little startling.]

[callmegladio]

[Gladio was busy making a mental map of the place. Maybe it'd seem stupid to others, but he liked to know where he was at. It was always a good idea to know where all the entrances and exits were. Not that there were any of those. He hadn't ventured to the wall yet, but once he'd worked out all the points the city had to offer, walking around the wall would be his next port of call.

It was as he was doing this, just looking around, that he turned to find someone was watching him. And for a moment his mind was coming up blank on why this guy looked familiar... until he spoke.

Without quite realising he'd done it, Gladio's back straightened, a cold wash of something akin to fear washed through him. The King. Was... that how he saw his absence here? Gladio was trying to think of a way to respond that didn't include an 'fuck you, it wasn't my fault', when the King spoke again and he realised that the first comment hadn't been serious. At least, he hoped. Because he'd had zero control over where he went. If he had... things would be different. And he wouldn't have been wandering around alone.]

Your Majesty. [He bowed, and as he rose again, he smiled and started walking toward him.] And, if you don't mind me saying, you're looking good for an old man.

stuck on you :U

[astralera]

[ While Era doesn't fare particularly well in cold, snowy weather, nor does she particularly enjoy it, it does remind her of her Coerthan home (and give her more excuses to invade the space of her veritable living heater of a husband). Fresh snow also brings with it a wonderful sense of quiet, as though the whole of the world is but a whisper.

It also brings with it the chance to build snowmen, like the Fortemps knights had taught her what feels an eternity ago now. Given that her house isn't too far away Era decides she can begin building one on the way back to surprise Ardbert with.

She picks up some snow and forms a snowball with practiced ease, then kneels down and starts rolling it into a proper base. Soon enough she'll have a nice snowman to put by Haurchefant's memorial. Everything is going—


—topsy-turvy.

She feels her boot collide with her snowman, breaking it into an explosion of powder snow. There are arms on her and she has a moment of disoriented panic, tail thrashing and limbs flailing. On reflex, she angles her head to press her horns hard enough against her 'assailant's' flesh to bruise.

She just wanted to build a snowman. ]

[callmegladio]

[The second day and Gladio was back to looking around and checking out the area. It was cold, the snow was bothersome as much as it was beautiful, so he did it by stages. He'd go out in one direction and check as much as he could, before returning to his house. He'd warm up and then venture out in a different direction.

So far it had worked out nicely. He'd met a few people on the way, strange, new people. But not nearly as many as he'd imagined, given the apparent size of the city. It made him wonder how many people actually lived there...

It was as he was considering this, and wondering if anyone had run a census to find out, that he tripped over something he should have damn well seen. Once again he wasn't paying attention and he'd paid the price.

Automatically he'd reached out to stop himself, his hand landed on a shoulder and... stuck. He should have known better. This was the third time it'd happened!

The problem was, now he was stuck, the person was falling with him, and there was no way that Gladio could stop himself. All he could do was roll with the fall and, in doing so, he immediately grabbed for the person, tucking them in close so he didn't crush them or hurt them as they tumbled and rolled down the snow covered street.

It was just a pity that the one he was trying to protect from himself didn't feel the same way. He felt something whip at him, catching his thigh and... more delicate areas. Something hard pressed into his chest and Gladio grunted in pain and then again as his side hit a lamppost and stopped their tumble.

Gladio lay on his back. Dazed. Confused. Hurting from several places... and he was trying very hard to get his arms off of the thing that was hurting him.]

Just... stop... [Deep voice was little more than a wheeze at this point.]

... I can't... damn well let go...!

stuck on you;

[lunaelucem]

[Lunafreya wouldn't call herself slight by any means, despite her appearance— but by the Six, whoever she'd just bumped into must be a Wall, to send her flying back so easily.

Not a Wall, but a Shield, she realizes as she's caught, and blinks up at the man before her.]

I'm alright. [A pause.] It's good to meet you, Gladiolus.

[callmegladio]

[This time it was NOT his fault. He hadn't bumped into anyone. He'd just been standing, minding his own business, checking out a building when someone else bumped into him.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop instinct from kicking in. Gladio should have known better. In another world maybe is actions would have been welcomed. But in this world, he was quickly learning that touch was dangerous.

Yet the woman who ran into him was already ricocheting when he, afraid she'd fall, reached out and quickly hooked her around the waist to stop that from happening. And immediately realised his mistake.

... Made worse when he, once again, heard his name being spoken by someone he had never, ever met. Fortunately, it was hard not to know the Lady Lunafreya when you saw her.

Gladio's eyes widened a little, it might have even been possible to discern a little colour in his cheeks. He'd almost sent Lunafreya flying on her ass. He was too stunned to even correct her on the use of his name.]

Uh... yeah... it's good to meet you too.

[Smooth, Gladio. So smooth.]