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

♥ 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!

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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?

"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."

"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.

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."

"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."

"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.

"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.

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."

"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."

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.

"Liege of the Lake? I've heard about that... Think she put something like him in these waters?" Gladio grinned, ready to be impressed with the fish Noct had caught, but if there was bigger out there...

He was already setting up to cast his own line.

"Time to find out, huh? Lets see if we can get bigger than the one you've got there."

"Could be. Or something from her world, maybe. Do you know what a monkfish is?"

He still hadn't seen one himself, but he'd been very curious ever since Mythra first brought it up ages back.

"Never heard of them..." He shot Noct an amused grin. "Those things in this lake? They sound weird."

He wondered what other fish would be in the lake... Pyra had a hand in making this, so maybe things from her world, or maybe she'd gathered ideas from other people? And what about the natives? Gladio wondered if there were fish on this world that had been added... He had to admit, it made the prospect of fishing them up a bit more exciting if he knew he could fish up something alien.

"Gonna be honest, I don't know what's in this lake. But I'm pretty hype to find out."

It's their own little bonus adventure, or... something. Maybe he'll ask Pyra later, but maybe not. He'd kind of rather find out on his own time.

"Shame we can't take em back with us to grill up." Gladio replied with a laugh. A nice grilled fish sounded pretty good right now. Especially of those fish were new to him.

"Guess we find out together. Least, this time." He didn't think they'd discovered all of the lakes secrets that night, but Noct would find out over time himself. Gladio wondered if the lake could be added to over time?

"I'm down if you are. We've got all night."

And any other time they decide to come here, besides. He might actually use this program more than the fishing game, at least for a while. The nostalgia of it stung a little, but in a good way. He didn't mind how it felt, since it mostly just felt like home.

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

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