AU Plot: Gladiolus (FFXV spoilers within)

[leatherdaddy]

who: AU Gladio and various people (let me know if you want in)
what: Please refer to the AU plot announcement and below for deets.
when: June 15-24
where: Various locations
warnings: Possible discussions of death, suicidal thoughts, some adult situations, subject lines will have content warnings!


The Background:

Okay so basically in 10 years of darkness (we're talking no sun, no stars and pretty much non-stop monsters/demons running rampant over Eos) Gladio's undergone some significant changes - some of which are only insinuated and not well explained. He and the other Chocobros initially stick together but eventually go their separate ways - effectively joining the hunters in protecting the last bastions of mankind.

• He's 33 years old, his skin is paler, his tattoos slightly faded in parts, his hair is blacker and longer, tied into a half ponytail.
• The portal pulled him shortly after the sun returned; as dawn broke, it revealed that he was the last man standing... his friends dead.
• For those who know him, he is notably less easy to smile, tends to slip into quiet brooding or stoicism.
• The loss of his friends hit him very hard, but not so hard as his loss of mission/purpose - without a King to be Shield to and without anyone to protect, he's completely lost. He doesn't know what to really do with himself, since Demon Hunting is all he's known for the last 10 years.
• He engages in more risk-taking activity; harder missions/hunts, heavy drinking, sex. He's not a train wreck of self-destructive behavior but for anyone who knows him it's a pretty stark change and hints that he's a man who has nothing else to lose (except his sister).
• He still cherishes and dotes on his sister, but she's busy doing her own thing as a Hunter and doesn't want to burden her with his baggage.
• He's no longer able to use his arsenal or hammerspace, this power was lost with the line of Lucis. He still carries his best weapon and shield, although he has to lug them both around now.
• THIS IS A LOT OF ANGSTY HEAVY STUFF but really this just means he's less boisterous, less inhibited. He's almost out of out of fucks to give. That said, I won't just have every thread be sad and upsetting, he's fully capable of experiencing joy and amusement, he's SEEN SOME SHIT and obviously this has diminished him quite a lot.

i. Self Medicating; Closed to Genji

ii. Coming Home; Closed to Ignis

iii. Placeholder; Closed to Líadan

iv. Placeholder for Victor

Comments

[leatherdaddy]

[ Gladio doesn't take long, it's an efficient scrub down and the powder dye - whatever it was that left him with a comfortable buzz - washes away easily with water. He knows he'll only end up taking another shower when he gets up in the morning but that doesn't stop him from presenting himself fresh. It's why he doesn't so much as bother with toweling off than just dabbing the towel where it counts, ties his hair back again and emerges with a towel tied around his waist.

Behold, instant glistening Gladio: just add water. ]

Nice ink.

[ Gladio has a Thank you for doing the honors of getting more comfortable and shedding some layers, it has the intended effect - Gladio's brows pull up in interest, his smile widening. He can't get a good view from this angle, so he unfolds his arms and gestures to him. ]

Come here and turn around. This warrants a closer look.

[ He drops down and sits on edge of the bed. As appealing as he looks languishing in bed in all his bare-chested glory, Gladio thinks that winding tattoo around his arm and shoulders is difficult to appreciate without having him turn his back to him. And of course, he intends for his investigation to be hands-on. ]

[flowlikewater]

[ Now isn't that a wonderful sight? There were just some people that needed a picture frame to follow them around wherever they go. Genji's grin gets a little more devilish when he sees him emerge from the shower. ] Now you've gone and made me feel overdressed again.

[ Aw, giving orders, that's cute. Genji slowly sits up when he gets on the edge of the bed. ] Well, I could say the same to you. [ Now that the lighting was better and the blotches of powder were gone, he could tell the man's ink work was pretty intense. A bird and feathers and it seemed to go all across his back.

His own was much like his brother's, except in shades of green instead of blue. One of the claws of the dragon curls around his shoulder and bicep, but the rest is in full glory all across his back. (Far more easily hidden than his brother's and he's wondered, in the back of his mind, if it was intentional.)

Genji turns and leans back, stretching so his back muscles ripple a little. ] You can, but that better not be all you plan to do. [ Said playfully enough. ]

[leatherdaddy]

[ It certainly isn't. ]

Very nice.

[ Gladio watches the movement of his muscles beneath the green ink and it almost makes it look alive. His hands, calloused from a lifetime of training and combat, run up the green dragon's body and Genji's, his other hand sweeping around to touch his stomach. He wastes little time in visual study, dips in to brush his beard against sensitive skin on Genji's back before he breathes out and kisses up his spine towards the back of his neck. ]

Can't say I've seen that design before.

[ His world doesn't really have Yakuza in it, so the implication is lost. He sees a unique tattoo and a story possibly behind it. If Genji's willing to tell it or not matters little, since a moment later he's drawing that warm, wet body of his closer to him, the towel-wrapped waist bumping against his. He noses into the green hair at the back of his head, presses his mouth on his neck as he pulls his body closer. ]

[flowlikewater]

[ The rough hands are nice and welcome; if there was one thing Genji hated it was being treated like he was delicate. He puts his own equally calloused hand over the one on his stomach, brushing a thumb there. Might as well start out playful, ease into it.

Or, well, maybe his companion had other plans. The hot mouth on his spine sent all the right kind of jolts to all the right kind of places, and Genji's toes curl for a moment. He lets out a pleased hum from the back of his throat and his voice is just barely rougher when he speaks again. ] Family tradition.

[ It isn't a lie, but it's all he'll say. He doubts the man can summon a mighty bird from his own tattoo, so the less said about that the better.

Genji presses into his toweled hips, let's him scrape his hot mouth all over his neck. All good signs this wouldn't be a boring evening, that's for sure. He turns his head so he can press his own face into Gladio's neck, licking a hot stripe with his tongue. ] You gotta thing for birds?

[ Well, clearly. Genji was Sparrow for a reason. ]

[leatherdaddy]

...Mn?

[ This Gladio has become less patient about this sort of thing. Gets straight to the point and goes beyond suggestive. Gladio holds his breath when he answers him, suddenly self-conscious as he lavishes his attention on the tattoo and it's bearer, his teeth drag on his skin as he closes his mouth and pulls away, the exhale catching in his throat. Family tradition, huh? That's... interesting. Also hitting a touch too close to home. Gladio closes his eyes and huffs a laugh. ]

Heh. Talk about relatable...

[ Amber eyes lose focus in the wake of that lick, and he realizes he needs for air and sucks it in. He rakes his fingers up Genji's thighs, over his pants while he noses into the green hair that ends at the nape of his neck. ]

It's the last time this tradition will go on, though. Last of the line and all.

...Birds. Yeah, I like them. [ He's only missed them because he hasn't seen them in ten years, but being here where there's so much sun during the day, so much light - it's the little things he's noticed. The way leaves play with sunlight, the coolness of the shade, the way the air feels alive with flying creatures. Even the night sky is a sight to behold.

Gladio rests his chin on Genji's shoulder, relishing the warmth of that mouth on his skin. ] Why... do you?

[flowlikewater]

Mmhmm. [ Goosebumps dither his skin when he drags that hand across his thighs and along his neck as Gladio's beard brushes against his skin. Ah, very nice, exactly what he wanted, but he already wants more.

Genji nips at his neck since he's pressed up against it easily and trails his teeth back down. ] Got a stuck up family too, huh? [ Makes sense, he supposes.

But he also has no desire to be talking about that boring shit. It's the entire reason he's about to get naked with a stranger, to forget about all the apparent responsibility being shoved onto his shoulders.

"Last of the line—" makes something in Genji stutter, a nasty and fleeting thought of "I wish" goes through his mind. It makes his thick brows furrow and he goes to make another mark on Gladio's neck as the moment passes. ] I guess.

[ And then he pulls away just enough so he can shift his weight, turning himself around so they were now facing each other. Genji intends to climb onto his lap, right against that precariously held up towel. He trails a hand across one of the inked feathers on his skin, down to the head of the bird on his pec. ] But I think you're the only one I'm interested in now. So let's continue.

[ Too close to talking about feelings. He doesn't want to get to know him or whatever his sob story must be; he's just a warm, sturdy and handsome body for the night. That's all. If he's particularly good he might even ask his name in the morning.

(Genji Shimada, in his youth, was an incredibly lonely young man.) ]

[leatherdaddy]

[ Gladio grunts, his breath catching when he feels that mouth leave a mark on his skin. Note to self: wear high collared Kingsguard uniform until that shit heals, resort to curatives or magic if absolutely necessary.

What, don't think a guy who takes strangers home with him comes from a well-adjusted and happy family? Actually, no. He's not going to ask that, doesn't want him to answer it either.

He laughs away the comment, but he neatly side-steps any details. He'd rather not talk about his family, but the best way he's found to side-step around personal shit is to crack a joke and then distract. When Genji climbs into his lap, this presents him with ample opportunities to do so. Excellent, because this now allows him to cease all further questions that are off-topic. Meaning, anything that doesn't eventually lead to sex. ]

Not exactly. [ He doesn't bother elaborating, instead just seeks out some cluster of nerve endings to set things back on track, starting with a kiss to his clavicle that ends in another hungry scrape of teeth, followed by mouthing his way down his chest. He closes his eyes as if the taste of his skin is the best thing he's ever tasted - he's showing off, of course, and like the peacock that he still is after all these years, he opens his eyes and looks up through his lashes as plush lips capture the pale cap of his nipple and sucks.

Gladio must have worked some kind of towel tying magic on this thing because even with pulling Genji the rest of the way onto his lap, the thing miraculously stays on as he grips his hips. There's an audible pop as he pulls off and grins. ]

You gonna keep asking questions? Or should I find a better way to shut you up?

[flowlikewater]

[ And it's good thing because Genji wasn't going to keep talking about it either. And, truthfully and terribly, he didn't much care one way or the other what his story was in the first place.

He tilts his head back a bit when he scrapes his teeth, feeling warmth roll down his body. Ah, yes, very nice. More of this—

And, well. When he does that Genji swallows thickly (but doesn't moan, not yet anyway, he has enough self control for that) and feels his toes curl again. Well damn. If he keeps that up he's definitely going to end up being one of Genji's regular booty calls. He's very much into it.

He looks back down, grinning as well, eyes hooded and pupils starting to widen. ] You asked just as many, pretty boy. [ Genji reaches up and puts a hand on Gladio's neck, against the newly blossoming mark he'd left. He presses his thumb not hard enough to hurt, but enough to feel. ] Let's see if you can impress me.