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♥ 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:
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[Gladio shrugged, accepting that and not pushing. If she wanted to hide her pets from him, so be it.

He just stands there then, staring the woman down, even as she looks him over. Then shakes his head when she deems him worthy enough and off they go. The house he was lead to was... really lovely. It shouldn't have surprised him, but it did.

Before he could say anything though, Era was down and making snowballs and Gladio just stood there, puzzled. He followed her and... almost stretched out a arm to intercept the snowball before it hit her in the face. But remembering how she'd told him off earlier, Gladio just crossed his arms over his chest. If she had a weird complex over people protecting her, he'd just leave it alone. Though it was all a bit strange to him.]

Good to know.

He had to relearn how to use his body the past year. He's come so since then! [ She is almost unbearably proud and fond, tail perked and wagging as she leads Gladio to the front door, opening it, stepping through, and then gesturing for him to enter. ]

Shoes off, please! We've slippers if you would like footwear, and I can loan you a poncho if you'd like your shirt put in the dryer.

[ Probably the only item of clothing in the house that would fit both length-wise and width-wise. ]

The amaro are napping in the back gardens but may wake up, so don't be alarmed by large black birds moving outside.

Sounds rough. Good on him though.

[He didn't know the specifics and he wasn't going to ask, wasn't his business. But he could appreciate hard work.

He went with her into the house and was already bending to take off his boots even before she spoke. They were covered in snow, after all. Stepping out of them he set them aside, hesitated. It was warm enough in the house, he supposed. So he shrugged a single shoulder and pulled his green sweater off over his head, as well as the shirt under it, which was also soaked.]

If you point me to the dryer...?

I suspect he'll want to spar you one day, especially now that there's finally an arena suited to it.

[ She does give him another brief once-over after he's removed his shirts, though her look is notably very clinical. Once assured there is nothing concerning to note, Era grabs a large, warm poncho from the coat closet and holds it out for him to take with one hand while the other is held out in askance for his shirts. ]

Are there special drying instructions, or is a standard cycle fine?

... An arena?

[He made a mental note of that to check out. As for checking him over, aside from the bruises she gave him, partly masked by the dark tattoo that covered most of his torso, there were scars. All of his scars are older though. The newest being the line of three claw marks on his back. As well as the scar on his right shoulder. The largest the one straight across his chest.

He handed over his clothes, reluctantly, and took the poncho with a strange look.]

Uh, yeah. Just throw them in I think.

An arena. There is some nanotechnology available to create specific opponents or landscapes, along with artificial intelligence. It was opened not too long ago now, though I haven't had the time to really test it properly yet.

[ The tattoos are interesting, as she isn't often privy to seeing them. Clan markings, facial tattoos, marks from glyphs or bindings, or painted on runes are commonplace to her, but the limited amount of nude torsos she's seen have largely been marked by tooth, claw, or steel.

The scars... She wonders how well they've been healing. If he's been using ointments to keep the skin healing properly and to maintain valuable elasticity. But she can pry later on, perhaps.

She does quietly note the complete lack of hair anywhere on his torso, if only because by now that, too, is an oddity to her. Apparently she isn't the only one to have seen an oddity, given the strange look Gladio sends the poncho. ]

It's cashmere. [ She tells him, taking his clothes and draping them neatly over her arm. ] Nice and soft and warm, and should be broad enough in the shoulders.

The washroom is over there if you need it. [ A quick gesture to it. ] The upstairs is off-limits, but you're welcome to go wherever else you'd like. I'll just be a minute putting the laundry in.

[ She gives him a shallow, informal sort of bow out of reflex before striding off to do just that. ]

[The look was because he'd never worn one before, and wasn't entirely sure HOW to wear one. So he just nodded. Looked slightly amused by the bow, and then was left alone.

A low laugh, a small shrug of a single shoulder, and Gladio set the poncho aside in favour of going to the washroom to check out the damage. Luckily it didn't seem too bad. But there were some points of dirt that he tidied up with the corner of a dampened washcloth.

By the time he left and eased himself down, he was a little cleaner, but would enjoy a bath once he returned to his own home. Though this one was nice. His gaze wandered, taking in the ornaments and figurines, the weapons... He was tempted to have a closer look, but held himself back.

Given his impressions so far, he wasn't sure if his nosing around would be appreciated.]

[ While she does take just a minute to put the dryer on, Era does take a few more minutes to go upstairs and change from her damp clothes into something more warm and comfortable. The benefit of living in a world where no one (so far as she's aware) is out to kill her is that she can wear whatever the hells she wants without consideration of how practical it is for combat. The added benefit of living in a house all her own is that she doesn't need to consider how many weapons she can fit in her pockets or under her skirts—she can just leave them dotted all around within easy reach.

Before she heads back downstairs she does take a spare moment to grab one of the ointments she uses for her own scars. If nothing else at least she'll have the option to offer it if she has an opportunity. ]

Your clothes should be dry in a quarter bell, and the hot chocolate will only take a few minutes at most to prepare.

[ One of the many things she likes about this house is that the living room and kitchen are all connected in one big space, meaning she can bustle around while guests are still nearby and in view. The housestaff at Fortemps Manor would be so thrilled with her for remembering the basics of good hosting.

Ardbert had already heated a pot of water for her, leaving Era able to melt the chocolate rather quickly in a bowl on top. Once the chocolate is sufficiently hot she dumps the water, then heats some cream and milk in the warm pot. From there she mixes it all together into some very decadent hot chocolate.

Much better than the powdered stuff.

She pours it out neatly into two mugs, then adds a small dollop of whipped cream on top, with a dusting of cocoa powder for presentation value. Thusly satisfied with her concoction, Era heads over to where Gladio has seated himself and holds out the mug for him to take. ]

Do you like ginger and molasses cookies?

[Gladio was quiet as he watched Era work. He should have offered to help, his own education told him he should, but he'd learned his lesson and would offer help to this woman only when she asked for it. He didn't want that tail of hers anywhere near him again.

He reached for the mug when it was brought to him with a smile of thanks, and then hesitated. It'd be rude to say no...]

If they're in cookie form, don't see why not.

[But he'd given ginger a wide birth since that awful ginger flavoured beer on the train. And Kaito's ginger tea to help his stomach. A cookie was different though, right?]

[ She notes the hesitation, so offers a minor elaboration: ]

They're more molasses-y than ginger-y, if that changes your answer.

[Realising he'd been caught out, he gave an apologetic smile.]

Sorry. Some bad memories of ginger. But sure. Cookie sounds good.

[He took a sip of the chocolate. It was really damn good. Though he had to wipe a bit of whipped cream off of his nose after.]

You don't need to apologize.

[ For a split second she wonders how anyone could have bad memories of food, then recalls her first (and only) experience with avocado.

She puts down her hot chocolate and strides back into the kitchen, tail flicking back and forth behind her in a perky, focused manner. The cookies are in a bird-proof container well out of reach of the windows, and she pops open the lid, plates a few of the delightfully soft, chewy cookies, then promptly returns to the living room. ]

If you decided you don't like them you don't need to finish any.

[ She takes her drink and her share of the cookies with her as she takes a seat on the opposite end of the sofa. She keeps her back against the armrest and her feet tucked daintily under her.

She takes a long sip of her hot chocolate, whipped cream and powdered cocoa sticking to the intricate grooves found in the patch of scales on her nose. It will take more effort than she cares to exert to clean her scales out, so she just wipes her skin clean and takes another (smaller) sip. ]

You can ask questions. I may not have all the answers, but I can point you to others who might.

[He waited for her to return, thanked her for the cookie and then without hesitation he picked one up and bit into it. The heat of the ginger was still very much present, but it wasn't so bad that he felt like he needed to make an exit and spit it out. Aside from the ginger taste, the cookies were pretty damn good.

He washed the bite down with some of the hot chocolate, and shook his head at her question.]

Not sure I have any. What mores to know? I was dragged here against my will and I'm expected to hug my way to saving the world. Bout sum it up?

[ She keep an eye out for any sign of distaste as he tries the cookie and, upon seeing none, she finally allows herself to fully settle into the warmth of her sofa. ]

That's the general idea of it. We've been kidnapped for the purpose of empowering the so-called gods with our touch. We're paid for our 'services', as if that makes things any better.

We're trapped within the city, and attempts to investigate the barrier and beyond will lead you to a night in a jail cell. Strange things happen regularly, like being stuck to someone for a time, though often there are more powerfully disruptive events—being turned into children, sharing dreams or memories, and rain that causes rapid growth are a few examples. These begin mid-month and last to the end of each month, give or take a few days, and not every month has a severe event taking place.

There's more resources to keep oneself occupied than there used to be, but services for physical and mental health are still severely lacking. If you're used to frequent activity and combat you'll be lacking in it here.

The natives are largely overzealous, eager to please, often invasive, enjoy gossiping about our private lives, and are too naive to understand why that may be bothersome.

And the replicated food tastes awful.

[Gladio just stared quietly for a long few moments before he sighed. His mug was set down on his thigh as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

He was getting one of his headaches.]

And there it is. The catch.

So I need to be on the lookout for that, huh?

[At least it wasn't life or death. Random magic was almost a relief to the fear of getting people killed.]

'The catch'? [ She echoes, confused. ] The only redeeming quality of this place is that there is a chance to reunite with loved ones.

The place seemed too good to be true. There's always a catch.

The last place sent us on missions that risked our lives.

This place... magically messed with our lives.

It's the catch for being in a place like this.

[His eyes opened, head tilting forward to look at Era.]

The price for loved ones. Right?

'The last place'?

[ She holds his gaze for the briefest of moments before looking down at the ring on her finger. ]

...If given the choice, it isn't a price I would have paid.

I was somewhere else before here...

[Gladio looks somewhat surprised by that admission.]

So you'd prefer to be home than here?

Well, I should hope so. [ She jokes, though quickly sobers. ] ...I was as well. It was a nightmarish place filled with all manner of gore and cruelty and death.

[ She can't bring herself to look at her wedding ring now, after making such an admittance, though she knows Ardbert wouldn't begrudge her these feelings. ]

Yes. I love them and the family I've made, but I was not made for love and homemaking and idleness. I exist only to safeguard my worlds and the life upon them. That is my purpose.

This is simply... A dream I cannot keep forever.

[Gladio just looked damn sad. How often had he thought the same thing? He was living proof that they were all living on borrowed time. He'd left people he cared about, in love with... he'd had a ring as well, but had never gotten the chance to hand it over.

It was all snatched away in the blink of an eye.]

A dream, huh... Yeah. That about sums it up.

[He hesitated, lightly tapping his fingers upon his mug... before he ventured, tone low, deep. Imparting a thought he hadn't voiced to anyone on this world.]

Its because of that, I don't feel like me. I'm a Shield. It's who I am, a life I was born into, raised to be. Nocts Shield. But what good is a Shield in a world like this? This isn't Eos. Noct isn't a King with a Kingdom to rule.

Its uh... been tough... working out who I am, when I'm not a Shield. I was like you. Didn't think falling in love was for me. Making a home. Sitting around on my hands doing nothing.

But I learned to like the peace, Era. I learned being a friend was better than a Shield.

I'm screwed if I ever make it back to Eos.

My first memory was being told by Mother of my world that I had to save it from the Darkness. The Crystal Bearer, She called me...

[ She sips at her drink. ]

Adventurer. Hero. Warrior of Light. Warrior of Darkness. Azem, the Traveler. Shepherd to the stars lost in the dark.

I am all of these things. I will always be these things. I am a concept; a legend; an ideal. I have always been what I must be, and that has never been a person.

[ It's something she struggles with even now, after more than a year of effort. Something inside of her rebels at the thought of truly seeing herself as more than a weapon, because it's so much easier that way. Weapons cannot feel. Cannot hurt. Cannot falter.

People are so fragile, and she can't dare risk being truly broken. ]

Here though... I must be a friend, a sister, a daughter, a wife. I have to be a woman I've never really known, and still don't really know.

I don't know how to be a weapon and a person at the same time, but... The people I love are helping me, so it isn't as frightening as it could be.

[ She frowns down at her drink, brows creased in a way that shifts the patch of scales on her nose upward. ]

You are a Shield, Gladio. You'll always be a Shield, and that doesn't make you any less of a friend. It just means you are better equipped to keep your loved ones safe.

If you ever make it back to Eos, remember that peace. Fight for it. Bring it back to your world.

[He understood her. He did. While she clearly had a lot more weight placed on her shoulders than he could ever fathom, he understood the idea of being a something over being a person. He'd always seen himself as a Shield. Put duty first. How often had he pushed Noct because of that? How often had he denied himself the simple pleasures that normal people had, because he was the Shield. Because of his responsibility to the crown.

There had only been one true exception. One bright spot that had given him respite from duty. And that had been his sister. He'd been a brother, not a Shield. Had helped raise her and watched her grow. It made him feel like maybe he wasn't a total lost cause.

But while he knew this wasn't a competition, hearing Era speak, he felt so silly and small for his own worries. His own insecurities.

He hadn't been born a weapon. He'd been born a protector, a shield, all he'd needed to be was strong and to help Noct become strong too, so he could one day take up the mantel of King.

And yet...]

I'm glad you've people here helping you, Era.

But the people helping me... aren't here. Who I was learning to be, who I could've become, got left behind. I have to start all over again here. [He took a little sip of his cocoa, licked the cream from his lip, and laughed quietly.] Don't know if the others are ready for a Shield who... is tired of fighting.

[But if he ever went back to Eos? Yes. He could fight then. He could bring with him his desire for peace and do whatever he could to get that peace.

Except he knew the future of his world. And he didn't know how he could fight that.]

Anyway, maybe I won't ever get back. I'm still convinced I'm just a clone. A shadow of Gladiolus Amicitia, and the real one's back on Eos. Only way to explain copies of people, and timelines. Somewhere out there, I'm still on Eos. And you're still on Eorzea.

[ Era stares at him, eyes narrowed and looking wholly unimpressed. Her tail tap, tap, taps the cushion at a slow, judgmental pace by her ankle.

She waits in silence, as though daring him to continue. ]

[Gladio wasn't too sure which part was earning him the look, so took a wild stab in the dark.]

You're telling me you've never wondered?