revivalproject | [Open] The Daring, Dashing, And Dating

WHO: Gladiolus, Noctis, Any Starduck Crew (or visitors), Open
WHERE: Starduck, Ul'Dah, Limsa Lominsa, Gold Saucer, Costa del Sol Dungeon
WHAT: Shipboard Times, Questions, Gladitorial Work, Dungeon Crawl, and Dating
WHEN: During Event, from June 17th - August 10th
WARNINGS: Violence/Injuries Possible in the Dungeon Crawl
NOTES: Unless otherwise noted, assume Gladio is dressed Like This on the planet

1A - A New Star | Starduck | [Crewmates Only]

Turned out that flying a ship in atmo and in space were not quite the same. Gladio may have had some practice at the former, but fuck, the latter wasn't easy. He grit his teeth as he focused on the whole thing. After a thought he flips a switch and speaks, hoping the PA system really does work.

"This is your Captain. Feel free to come on up to get a fucking view of a glowing hole in space. And some planet with it I guess. Anyone got any Ifrit-Damned clue what's going on here? Come up to the cockpit and explain shit."

1B - Captain With The Ship | Starduck | [OTA, visitors from other ships welcome to fly over]

No one could be on the planet all of the time. Okay, maybe they could, and go and spend their money on nice restaurants or plush inns, but not Gladio. No, he had other things he should be doing, and honestly, he felt safer bunking down on the Starduck. So in the evenings it was always a touch to a crystal and being whisked back onto his ship. Once there Gladio groaned and started to shed his gear right there in the hold. Simple enough to tuck it all back into his chest and then dress in his normal gear.

"Nice place, like to visit. Fuck I wouldn't wanna stay."

He wasn't used to people being that much larger and stronger than him. The Hrothgar were getting to him.

"Time to chill.

2 - King of the Ring | Ul'Dah Coliseum | [OTA]

They had him at 'battle monsters for a purse of money'. Gladio was a monster hunting machine back home, and he was more than happy to prove it here. Granted he wouldn't be able to change his weapons on the fly in the battle, but he still didn't mind. He's doing great.

It's easy to run into him here. Gladio's often in the back prep areas, stretching and doing warm up exercises, eyes sparkling with excitement. Any might approach him then as he warmed up for a nice round of monster fighting. Of course there was always the chance that someone might want to set up a nice little spot of one on one competition, may the winner take the spoils. All it would take is someone approaching him to start a conversation for that.

But a guy couldn't be fighting all the time. And after fights even Gladio found himself up in the stands, stretched out and catching his breath as he watched the action. Maybe he might not linger as long, but hey, it was nice to see who all was a good fighter, right?

3 - Stocking Up For Later | Limsa Lominsa Markets | [OTA]

It felt it had been so damn long since Gladio had been in a bustling port down, since he could see the sun on the water and in the sky and on the beach and not see ruins along with it all. It was... Fuck, it was one of the most beautiful things ever. And so he didn't mind coming back here time and time again. First he kept stopping in to check up on Noctis (fishing, predictably). Then he moved on to gather quests for the day, intending to head out to do what he could to build up gold, earn rumors, and go seeking the secrets the Agrii needed.

He spent a lot of time moving between shops to pick up potions and other supplies, and of course he popped in and out of other ones to look over weapons and armor. But in the end the thing that gave him the most pause was any time he caught sight of someone he recognized from Temba.

"Hey! Over here!" he shouted, waving. Better to let them know he was around, and swap intel. Had to know what was going on, right? They were all in this together.

4 - Old Hand At Dungeons | Costa del Sol Dungeon | [One Thread Tony & Jon, OTA one on one otherwise]

Seek Rats, huh? Well, if Gladio knew anything, rats and all that sorta shit were in underground caves. Sure, they were other places too, but who was he to judge? Besides, they probably meant secrets, and from Gladio's experience, some of the deepest and most important secrets of his own world were in fucking caves. Sure there were daemons there too, but they'd found answers to stop the will of Bahamut in caves like this.

So, once he'd heard the cave was a thing, that it was new, well, it seemed like a place to go searching. Gladio's earlier meeting with Tony had brought him to the decision of working with others for this, and once he was pretty sure they were sufficiently geared up, he'd boarded a boat, and gone with Tony to find the entrance to the cave.

"Alright," he said, eyes casting about to make sure there was no one around before using Tony and Jon as cover to summon his sword to his hand. Better safe than sorry. "Time to go in. Your job is to stay back and be my eyes, and solve any puzzles. Keep a mental map of where we're going. And if you feel confident fighting, join in. Just make sure you get back if I order you to, okay?"

He was the experienced on in this after all.

Of course Tony and Jon weren't the only ones he went in with either. Gladio was always happy to go through places extra times, because honestly it was easier to do a thing multiple times. And hey, he was making good money from hunting these monster parts. So he didn't mind clearing the beach while he waited for additional partners to go dungeoning with. In fact, he thought he had caught sight of someone right now. Gladio stood a little taller, leaning his giant sword against his shoulder, and he nodded.

"Yo. You looking to head in? Could use another set of hands."

5 - Charm Goes Arm In Arm | Gold Saucer | [Closed to Noctis]

It had taken a week and a half before Gladio had finished the plan. He'd told Noctis he had an idea, that he'd let the guy know when it was ready. Seeing as they shared a ship, he could keep Noctis appraised at night if Noctis came back to the ship to sleep. Six knew that Gladio sure slept on the ship, liking how safe and secure it felt. And the night before Gladio had asked Noctis to make sure to reserve the day for him.

All the time had been investing in building up the Gil for this. With a heavy pouch filled with the money he'd need for the planned evening, he had awoken, dressed in an outfit he'd gotten expressly for the day, and then he had awoken Noctis. Once he had his King up and moving he guided Noctis to the crystal, and then through it, dropping them in the entrance of the Gold Saucer.

"Alright," he said, smiling as he held his hand to Noctis, "today is for us. I've got a lot of ideas, and some set plans. But you're welcome to overrule stuff."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Don't worry about them," Gladio said, waving a hand between them as if to banish the entire concept. "That's not what romance and dates really work on. They work on real connections. Real honesty."

Noctis looked at Gladio a little confusedly after he was done being embarrassed at how little he knew about this whole dating thing. Just when he thought he had some sort of handle on how all of this worked, a wrench was thrown into his plans if they could even be called that in reality.

He knew nothing of romance other than what was in books, and never had a chance to work on any of it, not even with an arranged marriage because it never happened.

So finally he just shrugged. "If you say so."

Edited 2022-10-05 07:11 (UTC)

"Don't overthink it," Gladio says. "Just... if you said yes so easily, then you've thought about the potential before. The potential for us? If you did, what did you think about wanting to do?"

"Come on." Noctis replied with a shake of the head. "This.." His voice trailed off as he considered Gladio's words, not overthink it.

The king could be a king of overthinking. His mind constantly ran even if he didn't give a voice to all of things that rattled around in his head.

So he paced a little, trying to get the words out. "Anyone I got with, no matter who it was.." Noct's voice trailed off and he went to look out the window because he couldn't handle seeing Gladio's face as he spoke.

"If I dated anyone I'm just.." He brought a hand up and clenched it into a fist. Why were they talking about this again? So Noct tried again, but still didn't turn around. "I'm the King of Lucis. Anyone I date would have to consider the possibility of sitting next to me on the throne. I'm not..I don't know how to date. I don't want to.."

Again his voice trailed off but he sighed, mainly at himself and his head lowered slightly.

"I don't form attachments easily. I wouldn't have dated Luna, I would've just married her, and that was my life. But that doesn't mean that I would want to date a whole bunch of people anyway, even if I had that choice."

"I'm not talking about a whole bunch of people," Gladio points out, his arm reaching out to touch Noctis's arm. Better to keep soft here. He'd learned his lesson long ago about being loud and forceful with Noctis.

"I'm talking about you and me."

Somehow Gladio's touch was immeasurably comforting in a way that Noctis couldn't describe. And it was just what he needed, although he refrained from touching the other back.

"You couldn't be other people even if you tried." Noctis pointed out softly. But he kept his head averted and sighed. "I don't know anything about dating. And I don't want anything short term with you."

He turned around and looked at Gladio, keeping his hands behind him. "But before I get into that, there's something I need to tell you."

"Then maybe we learn dating together," he suggests, trying to keep positive.

Still, he has to consider what Noctis wants here, and if he needs a serious thing, he nods.

"Go ahead."

Gladio's positivity helped Noctis more than he could ever know. Still, the topic that he needed to bring up wouldn't be a pleasant one.

"You said in your timeline your king lives right? I don't remember if I told you that I didn't..in mine. So before I go off and let things go further, you need to know that."

With as many times as he'd rehearsed this speech in his head, he couldn't quite get the words out exactly as he wanted to. Noct's head lowered a little because he didn't ever want to bring this up, but it had to be out.

Ah, that. Gladio nods.

"I figured that out a while ago, Noctis. You're... I don't know. More fatalistic. I thought maybe that was the difference. That somehow, Ignis changed our history. But the thing is..."

Gladio takes a deep breath and then looks at Noctis.

"I don't think either of us could be this, be together without that. Back home, I know I can't tell my Noctis of how I feel. We have obligations. He can't love me, and I'm not allowed to love him. But you? You I can give myself to with no fear, no regrets."

Blue eyes narrowed slightly. Of all of the things including negative ones that he might use to describe himself, fatalistic wasn't one of them. But he respected Gladio's opinion anyway.

Hearing the other explain, Noctis made sure he listened to every word with a nod. There was a small smile and was relieved this had gone far better than he had expected.

"So I'm an acceptable substitute?"

Dead king or not, he's still a little shit.

"You're not a substitute, you little punk," Gladio laughs, shaking his head. "Maybe the last few years are different, but you're still Noctis. And I still love Noctis."

Noctis had to smirk. It was refreshing to hear that his shield still thought of him as a punk even though they were both older and he was so very grateful to the shield for his kind words. And even if this wasn't the Gladio that had fought at his side, the king didn't believe there was any difference between them.

"Well, now that you've heard what I had to say about dating or whatever, what is that you want?"

Edited 2022-10-07 18:46 (UTC)

"You," he answered simply. "I still want you."

WHy would that change?

Noctis smiled, and moved his hands to his sides. "I meant as in what you wanted out of a relationship with me. I've told you that I wanted something long term, or as permanent as it gets here."

"All of you," Gladio answered simply with a shrug. "Every last bit I can get."

He wants something that lasts. He wants something that warms his heart.

"Careful what you wish for." Noctis replied with a smile. Somehow that wasn't what he expected, or for this to go as easy as it had.

He took a step forward and hesitated, unsure as to what the right move was here.

"I hope to get it," Gladio said with a smirk.

"Now come on, let's get some food in you, then we'll keep having fun. I want your first date to be a great one."

[Open] The Daring, Dashing, And Dating

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