[Open] Survival Skill: Level 10

[ziedrich_bearer]

WHO: Gladiolus Amicitia, You
WHERE: The Warrens
WHAT: Volcano Event Catch All
WHEN: August 10th to Event End
WARNINGS: N/A

I. Base Camp Set Up | Backdated to August 10th/11th

This? This was something Gladio was frustratingly used to. The end of the world, refugee efforts, trying to help people get settled in and make sure they're okay, it's all something he's unfortunately used to. That had been all that he'd been doing in Lestallum in the start, before Ignis had started them all on an alternate path.

It means that Gladio's really good at this stuff. Good at coming up to someone and carefully moving into take some of the weight of their things with one hand while his fingers pull at the air in that way that he would normally do for a potion. Except in his hand blue light and crystals formed into a bottle of water from the reserves he'd shoved into the Arminger in the past.

"Here," he says, his voice soft. "Take a drink while I hold this. You figured out where you're going to set up yet?"

II. Emotional Support Muscles

Once things are settled... Well, physical things can be settled without the mind and heart being so. Not that Gladio's really the best at knowing what to do to make all of that better. So, a few days in, he contrives something. It's probably silly, but hey, sometimes you need that edge of chuckles, right?

He gets some paper and a marker from someone (he'll have to repay them for this some day), grabs some string from the Lark lady, and writes out his little message. Puts it on a string, hangs it around his chest, and then sits himself down in a common walkway. Now to pass the time, which he does by pulling a book from the Arminger, one he's read several times already but that never stopped him, and got to reading, waiting to see if the sign was taken seriously.

Free Ear to Listen. Or Hugs. Always Free Hugs

III. Workout Through The Stress

When in doubt, lift it out. There was one way to deal with an overwhelming abundance of frustration and all of the other stuff. And for Gladio, there was this. And hey, he probably wasn't the only one that was dealing with things like this. Though he was probably the only one doing his work out completely shirtless with a variety of one handed push-ups, tons of sit ups, and of course squats and lunges.

Dude knows how to take care of his body.

"Hey," he says, between one push-up and the next, "wanna join? As ballast if nothing else?"

Comments

[playingtough]

Good point. Now that he's settled down, he runs a hand through his curls, pushing the longer portions of his mullet off of his shoulders.

"I can fucking handle it. I handled you teaching me how to throw a better punch, right? If my stepsister ends up being brought back here, I can protect her from whatever the aliens throw at us, if I have an axe or something."

[ziedrich_bearer]

"Sounds like a plan," Gladio says with a nod. "We'll make sure you live up to it. If you want to."

Because the guy can always bail, and Gladio will respect that. He knows that he's a hard task master. Noctis had told him that more than once.

[playingtough]

Billy finds he does want to live up to it. He tries to think of other things he can do with an axe, and the good he could for himself with one. And possibly others. The thought of winter nibbles at his thoughts and he knows it'll be important to have ways to keep warm.

Tough task master or not, Billy didn't see himself as a little bitch and wouldn't let Gladio get the better of him. If he tried to, well, Billy would turn that training against him. Even if it didn't work.

"So are we done here or do you have more to teach me?"

[ziedrich_bearer]

"Tell you what. Let me write down a list of daily exercises I'd like you to try to help build stamina and strength in the places you'll need it for actual weapons use. Then after a bit we meet up and try and figure out the rest of things later."

Because Gladio's still got a lot of work to do here.

[playingtough]

"Good. Do that and get it to me somehow. I've been sleeping in a spot not too far from here. My name's carved outside the opening at least. Just leave it on the blanket if I'm not there."

Because who knows what he'd get up to unattended. Aside from carving walls with a dinner knife. But the thought of an exercise list would give him something to do and work on instead of being bored.

[ziedrich_bearer]

"It'll be there tonight," he says simply. Or as near to 'tonight' as he can manage. The kid needs it, probably more than he even knows.

"As for me, I've got to get working on other stuff. But if you need anything, don't be afraid to find me."