a show of strength. [ Months ago, it might have taken a certain amount of goading, cajoling, and perhaps even bribery to convince Gladio to participate in even such an innocuous tournament. While he's certainly no stranger to showing off—and certainly unmissable for his size and obvious strength—nothing about this resort has ever rung entirely genuine for him. That is still the case now, especially with yet another change to the gardens, but it's been so long since he's gotten to experience anything like the outdoors, with a true feeling of warmth and sunlight, that he's willing to let down his walls, if only just a little bit.
There's been no shortage of boastful guests failing miserably, of course, the outer shell of the melons deceptively thick and hardy. He also has to admit that there's something lamentable about the amount of wasted food, especially with how red and juicy the flesh looks as it bakes out in the lamplight sun, creating a sticky sheen over the tarp with each (eventual) success. One thing he notes above all is that only a handful of participants seem to be checking their melons beforehand. A flick of the fingers and an ear that listens for the welcome, hollow thump of ripeness. He recognizes the trick, can practically imagine Ignis here, knocking away as if they're at some beachside stand in Old Lestallum, and it brings a soft smile to his face despite himself. ]
Care to throw your hat into the ring, big guy?
[ A casual, flirtatious offer from the MC, and Gladio turns that smirk towards her, folding his arms. There's a look on his face like he is considering his options, as the crowd groans in shared misery over another failed attempt. After a beat, Gladio turns his gaze to the guest beside him, and offers: ]
I feel like this could be more interesting. [ Such overconfidence. ] Go pick out a melon for me. If I get it in one, you join me at the bar for a drink. If I don't, you get to pick a date for us instead.
[ Is this actually a win-win for him? Yes but maybe that detail will slip by~ ]
a brush with romance. [ While the lifeguards have left him alone for the most part, the last line of the agreement hadn't exactly sat well with him. He's not interested in trouble, and a scavenger hunt seems harmless enough. Besides, any excuse to bum around the beach a little longer is a good excuse. And what better excuse could there be, really, than to approach a stranger and casually ask for a harmless trade, or perhaps even to work together towards the goal.
Charming and charismatic, then, he makes pretty good progress fairly quickly (though he's saving those feathers for last. A drink is easy to acquire by offering to pay for a new one. And there are all kinds of things buried in the sand, if one bothers to dig even a little. Gladio approaches, then, all in black as usual, wearing a pair of sunglasses with another balanced on his head, a pair of leather sandals on his feet and another tied together with a length of discarded rope, dangling around his neck. His grin is easy, hopefully unsuspicious, and his Watch is prepped with the checklist of items just in case he's questioned about his motives. ]
This probably isn't the first time today you've been asked for this, but I was hoping you might be able to help me out with one of the kisses I need to collect for the scavenger hunt.
a glimpse of home(sickness). [ It's not that he hasn't learned his lesson, between the other drink he'd tried today or even just his general experience with almost every consumable in the resort being a dice roll. It's simply that fireworks and a spot on the beach always feel a bit better with an icy drink in hand. He'd been tempted by the inclusion of the seaberry gin, and the ginger beer, and while it isn't anything he'd typically order, a fruity cocktail once in awhile isn't so bad. Besides, the lime juice is refreshing, and he figures that nothing so cheerfully colored can mean anything bad.
Famous last thoughts, of course.
The sun is long gone, but he takes up a place at one of the handful of bonfires crackling away in the sand. This, truly, feels like what he's been missing, as he takes his first sip. The scent of the wood and smoke, the rush of the waves as they crash along the shoreline—obviously it's the former that causes his eyes to itch and water, causes his chest to clench with a powerful ache. He sighs, heavily, to try to rid himself of the tightness, and turns to another seated at the same campfire, disappointed when the face doesn't look anything like Noctis. ]
You been here long? About three and half months now, for me, I think...
[ He takes another drink to stop himself, and to stop the strange compulsion to continue sharing. Though he'll have to swallow eventually. ]
ooc. [ open to wildcards and other prompts above! gen or not-so-gen tags welcome. available via pm if you want to talk details but otherwise happy to roll with things~ ]
Gladiolus Amicitia | Final Fantasy XV | 9♦️ (current player)
[ Months ago, it might have taken a certain amount of goading, cajoling, and perhaps even bribery to convince Gladio to participate in even such an innocuous tournament. While he's certainly no stranger to showing off—and certainly unmissable for his size and obvious strength—nothing about this resort has ever rung entirely genuine for him. That is still the case now, especially with yet another change to the gardens, but it's been so long since he's gotten to experience anything like the outdoors, with a true feeling of warmth and sunlight, that he's willing to let down his walls, if only just a little bit.
There's been no shortage of boastful guests failing miserably, of course, the outer shell of the melons deceptively thick and hardy. He also has to admit that there's something lamentable about the amount of wasted food, especially with how red and juicy the flesh looks as it bakes out in the lamplight sun, creating a sticky sheen over the tarp with each (eventual) success. One thing he notes above all is that only a handful of participants seem to be checking their melons beforehand. A flick of the fingers and an ear that listens for the welcome, hollow thump of ripeness. He recognizes the trick, can practically imagine Ignis here, knocking away as if they're at some beachside stand in Old Lestallum, and it brings a soft smile to his face despite himself. ]
Care to throw your hat into the ring, big guy?
[ A casual, flirtatious offer from the MC, and Gladio turns that smirk towards her, folding his arms. There's a look on his face like he is considering his options, as the crowd groans in shared misery over another failed attempt. After a beat, Gladio turns his gaze to the guest beside him, and offers: ]
I feel like this could be more interesting. [ Such overconfidence. ] Go pick out a melon for me. If I get it in one, you join me at the bar for a drink. If I don't, you get to pick a date for us instead.
[ Is this actually a win-win for him? Yes but maybe that detail will slip by~ ]
a brush with romance.
[ While the lifeguards have left him alone for the most part, the last line of the agreement hadn't exactly sat well with him. He's not interested in trouble, and a scavenger hunt seems harmless enough. Besides, any excuse to bum around the beach a little longer is a good excuse. And what better excuse could there be, really, than to approach a stranger and casually ask for a harmless trade, or perhaps even to work together towards the goal.
Charming and charismatic, then, he makes pretty good progress fairly quickly (though he's saving those feathers for last. A drink is easy to acquire by offering to pay for a new one. And there are all kinds of things buried in the sand, if one bothers to dig even a little. Gladio approaches, then, all in black as usual, wearing a pair of sunglasses with another balanced on his head, a pair of leather sandals on his feet and another tied together with a length of discarded rope, dangling around his neck. His grin is easy, hopefully unsuspicious, and his Watch is prepped with the checklist of items just in case he's questioned about his motives. ]
This probably isn't the first time today you've been asked for this, but I was hoping you might be able to help me out with one of the kisses I need to collect for the scavenger hunt.
a glimpse of home(sickness).
[ It's not that he hasn't learned his lesson, between the other drink he'd tried today or even just his general experience with almost every consumable in the resort being a dice roll. It's simply that fireworks and a spot on the beach always feel a bit better with an icy drink in hand. He'd been tempted by the inclusion of the seaberry gin, and the ginger beer, and while it isn't anything he'd typically order, a fruity cocktail once in awhile isn't so bad. Besides, the lime juice is refreshing, and he figures that nothing so cheerfully colored can mean anything bad.
Famous last thoughts, of course.
The sun is long gone, but he takes up a place at one of the handful of bonfires crackling away in the sand. This, truly, feels like what he's been missing, as he takes his first sip. The scent of the wood and smoke, the rush of the waves as they crash along the shoreline—obviously it's the former that causes his eyes to itch and water, causes his chest to clench with a powerful ache. He sighs, heavily, to try to rid himself of the tightness, and turns to another seated at the same campfire, disappointed when the face doesn't look anything like Noctis. ]
You been here long? About three and half months now, for me, I think...
[ He takes another drink to stop himself, and to stop the strange compulsion to continue sharing. Though he'll have to swallow eventually. ]
ooc.
[ open to wildcards and other prompts above! gen or not-so-gen tags welcome. available via pm if you want to talk details but otherwise happy to roll with things~ ]