Gladio's Birthday Weekend [Open to Invited and Uninvited Guests]

[runs_on_batteries]

♥ Who: Varies but mostly open!
♥ Where: Regis' House
♥ When: April 2- April 4
♥ What: Partying it up Tony style! Gladio's going to love it!
♥ Rating: PG13 for language, alcohol use/ drunken behavior, and general Tony-ness? I'll add CW
♥ Note: Please note that any who know Tony will notice he's looking about five years younger (Icons have been updated)


The intention had been to keep this party small and limited to Eos' favorite boy band and their groupies but with everyone helping out with the bar and the good mood he'd been in... Tony might have accidentally invited more people. Like.. a lot more people. Okay, so he invited everyone. In his defense, who would want to miss out on an official Tony Stark Bash™?

Starting the middle of the afternoon on Friday, the neighborhood surrounding Regis' house would notice an increase in activity as people arrived. By that evening, the windows were open, the music was blaring, and booze was flowing. Someone might have used just about all their extra they'd earned on making tonight special for someone.

So come one and all over to the King's house and let the King of the party pour you a fresh homebrewed beer from his keg, grab some Ignis and Pyra treats, enjoy a slice of delicious red velvet cake with strawberries made by Tony, and drop off a token of appreciation for the birthday boy and keep our fingers crossed he'll show up!

Comments

[carbungle]

Well, if you wanted his attention...

"Seriously? There's fishing? Where?"

He's looking for a lake or something now. Where! Fishing! He wants to go fishing! Where's the gear, where's his rod!? Please let him fish, he needs to empty that head of his ASAP.

[callmegladio]

Gladio was laughing even as he pulled himself back up to his feet.

"I heard running water over that way." He nodded off in a direction and then gestured for Noct to follow him, they'd go and find it together. "There's no menu or something we can pull from here? It's a game, right? Maybe it'll be waitin for us?" Who knew? Gladio sure didn't! All he'd been told was there was fishing and a camp and they were supposed to have fun. And seeing Noct's excitement... he really, really hoped there was fishing gear waiting for them.

[carbungle]

"Oh, I didn't even check. Let's see..."

He starts after Gladio, swiping a hand through the air in a gesture he's done dozens of times before, and sure enough a little pop-up HUD appears in front of him, and he's able to pick through some options. When they reach the water's edge, on the side of the dock there's a tackle box and a rod waiting for him, and he brightens again.

"Hey. yeah! It's just like the fishing VR game here. You can pick whatever you want from the options and it's there."

[callmegladio]

He was watching what Noct did and after a second or two he mimicked the gesture and made a little sound of surprise when the same pop-up appeared for him.

"... That's cool." Okay, he was officially impressed. Gladio wasn't sure what he was doing but he was pretty sure he'd selected a rod for himself. When they reached the water he was pleased to note that yes, he had. Unless Noct had picked two and he'd failed. Whatever the case was, there where two and he was going to fish with his friend.

"Handy." He grinned and continued walking until he could look down into the water. Then crouched and reached a hand down to touch it. "... Looks so damn real, it's freakin me out!"

[carbungle]

"It got me too, the first time. Though back then the VR wasn't even as fancy- it's just gotten better since last year." Noctis laughs, picking out one of his favourite lures and jumping right into fishing, content to cast the first line. "Getting the fish out can be tricky, but it's not too hard with practice. Kinda like the real thing, yeah?"

It'd taken plenty of failed attempts and broken lines until he'd mastered it back home, too. This game wasn't that much different.

[callmegladio]

"Then how bout you teach me the ropes?" Gladio asked as he pushed himself back to his feet and took a step back to watch what Noct was doing. Clearly Noct was used to the whole thing, moving with a practiced ease that made him smile.

"Show me how to play the game?" Because this was his first time. So please be gentle, Noct!

[carbungle]

"Yeah, sure. It's not super complicated."

And it isn't! It shouldn't take very long at all for Noctis to walk Gladio through the steps of working the reel in-game. By the time a fish snags his line for the first time, he should have all the info he needs- all he has to do is practice it.

[callmegladio]

'Not super complicated' to Noct didn't always translate to the same for Gladio, but he watched closely to what Noct did before doing it for himself.

He messed up the first time, cursed under his breath and tried again. The line was cast and Gladio grinned. It didn't take long to get a nibble. The joy of this being a game and real life he supposed. "So I just... do this?" He asked of Noct as he began reeling in the fish.

[carbungle]

"Yeah, just like that. Turn the rod with the fish and keep pulling it in, unless the rod's got too much tension, then you wait it out. Feels real enough, right?"

It isn't quite on par with reality, but the vibe is surprisingly genuine. A strange mixture of video game and the real thing. It's fun, at least.

[callmegladio]

"Reely real." Gladio laughed and carried on trying to catch the damn fish. At one point he was afraid he'd pulled too hard and the line would break, but after a little panicked moment, the fish was pulled from the water.

It was tiny.

It had Gladio laughing all over again.

"Small in size, but put up a good fight. I can appreciate that."

[carbungle]

"Remind you of anybody?"

They know a few people like that, for sure. Noctis gives Gladio's back a casual pat, congratulating his first catch.

[callmegladio]

"You?" Gladio laughed. "Iris. But hey, do I toss this thing back? Know they're not actually alive but..." That was the done thing, right? If you weren't planning on eating the fish, back in the drink it went. And the poor thing was too small to grill anyway.

[carbungle]

"Hey." Noctis scoffs and elbows him playfully. "I don't know if there's a rule in this game, but you can do either. The fishing minigame has you keep them and ranks you when the timer runs out, but there's no timer here."

He gestures around them- the game doesn't seem to have HUD, and no indicator of a time limit.

"Toss it back if you want, it's all virtual anyway."

[callmegladio]

He just laughed and, after a moments thought, he tossed the fish back into the water. It was so small it didn't seem worth keeping it for any reason.

"Since there's no timer and no challenge, guess it's just for fun. No fun keeping a tiny fish like that. Need to catch something bigger... Think there's a monster fish in this lake?" He asked with a grin over at Noct.

[carbungle]

"Not sure if it's in this game. The regular fishing game does have a giant fish, though."

Noctis cast his line again, trying to get a nibble of his own, his gaze focused on the water. He looked almost nostalgic.

"I fought it with the Founder King, if you can believe that."

[callmegladio]

Gladio gave Noct a sharp look and then a frown.

"... You're kidding? Isn't he, I dunno, a dick?" From what Arydn had told him the guy wasn't anything to write home about, despite what the history books had said about him. Gladio had no idea, but he knew that history was written by the victors and for all intents and purposes, Ardyn had lost. So maybe the guy had just been bitter?

[carbungle]

"You dare speak blasphemy about the noble founder of my household? Off with his head." Noctis barely stifled a laugh, beginning to reel in his first fish. "But kind of yes, kind of no. Somnus was a complicated guy- I was surprised by him. Very, uh... focused. Not exactly grandfather material though."

[callmegladio]

"Hey, don't look at me." Gladio laughed and held up a hand in surrender. "Just hearin about him from Ardyn, I wondered about him... He didn't sound like the best guy. But 'not grandfather material' works just as good as 'bit of a dick'."

He hoped he'd not caused offence, and Noct trying not to laugh made him think he hadn't, the guy was a relative of Nocts after all. It was just how Arydn had spoken. The look in the guys eyes. Gladio wondered if Somnus was even someone he'd be able to tolerate.

[carbungle]

Yeah, no offense taken there. Noctis had spent just enough time with Somnus to know a few of his quirks, but there were definitely some dickish moments. And he'd never denied what he had done to Ardyn, either.

"He was the king that Gilgamesh followed. You can take whatever you want from that."

[callmegladio]

"He was a dick too." Gladio gave a low chuckle and then grinned. Ardyn hadn't liked that guy either, and neither did Gladio the one and only time he'd ever met the guy.

"I suppose a Shield can't exactly pick their King... But I'm glad the king I get to follow is you. I'd have only caused problems for our dear Founder King."

[carbungle]

"Didn't expect to hear you say that. We've come a long way from where we started, huh."

From terrible first impressions to a genuine brotherhood- looking back, it was a little surreal, but no one could say that it wasn't a hell of a ride.

[callmegladio]

"We all grow up sometime, Noct. I know I've given you a hard time... But think of it this way. I wouldn't go to that trouble if I didn't believe in you. I'd get angry or frustrated because I cared. Because I know you have what it takes. I believe in you, Noct. Always have."

And that was the truth. Maybe he hadn't seen it when he was a kid, but as he'd grown up he had worked it out.

Sure, the kids laziness could drive him up the wall, but so what? When Noct actually applied himself he was impressive. And seeing how he was here, in this world, Gladio felt he'd been proven right. Noct had flourished. He'd grown stronger. And Gladio couldn't have been prouder. As a Shield it was all he'd wanted.

[carbungle]

Noctis was quiet for a long moment, taking all of that in. Finally he started to reel the fish in a little faster, shifting his feet and looking down, somewhat embarrassed.

"So cheesy... I don't know how you get away with lines like that." He paused, cleared his throat, then added, "I know. You helped me get there in your own way, and when it worked, it worked. I'm not gonna forget all the stuff you taught me."

[callmegladio]

"Maybe I've had a lot of time to think... And a lot of time to realise I probably should've told you some of this stuff years ago." Then maybe it wouldn't seem so embarrassing or awkward for Noct to know he was proud of him.

But Gladio let it go. He hadn't set out to embarrass his King. They were supposed to be having fun. He stepped forward and crouched down near the water to watch Noct pull in the fish. "... That's all I can ask for, Noct. That and maybe catch a big one. Somethin we can boast about when we leave here."

[carbungle]

Noctis scratched at his cheek, a bit shy, then returned his hand back to the rod, pulling the fish in the rest of the way. It wasn't huge, but considering the difficulty in pulling it in, it was sizeable enough to be almost brag-worthy. Though maybe not for the two of them.

"Since Pyra was involved, I wouldn't be surprised if a few big ones are in here. She knows about the Liege of the Lake."

Actually, he wasn't even sure if Gladio had experienced that particular catch yet. The timeline was still pretty wonky, and it was around the time Gladio was from, he thought- but was it before or after? He couldn't say.