Gladio Amicia { canonly: Gladiolus Amicitia } (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lose_the_jacket) wrote2017-01-23 07:11 pm
lose_the_jacket) wrote2017-01-23 07:11 pm
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PLAYER
YOUR NAME: Alex
18+?: Yes
CONTACT: PM
CHARACTERS IN GAME: N/A
RESERVATION LINK: Bam.
YOUR NAME: Alex
18+?: Yes
CONTACT: PM
CHARACTERS IN GAME: N/A
RESERVATION LINK: Bam.
CHARACTER: CANON SECTION
NAME: Gladiolus Amicitia
AGE: 23
CANON: Final Fantasy XV
NAME: Gladiolus Amicitia
AGE: 23
CANON: Final Fantasy XV
CANON HISTORY: Here.
CANON PERSONALITY:
Gladiolus (Gladio) is the kind of guy who puts his duty before all else. His entire world pretty much revolves around his job, though he doesn't honestly see it as a job... because this is his life. This is about more than just him, Ignis (Iggy), Prompto, or even Noctis (Noct). This is about everyone else -- especially towards the end, considering the fate of the entire world is at stake. No, he's well-aware that, within the bigger picture, rests an image that is heavily influenced by the future king's every movement, every decision, everything... So, while he can come across as especially harsh at some of the worst, most emotional moments, his main focus has always been to guide and protect the future king.
But, speaking of said "most emotional moments," that's possibly the biggest key in explaining Gladio's core personality.
As I've said, he firmly believes that everything Noct does (or...doesn't do, as it may be in some cases) is what influences the bigger picture. In his eyes, the future king is more than just a political figure; he's the person who will be carrying the weight of an entire populace -- he's the one who must be strong enough to bear such a heavy burden. As such, Gladio doesn't take kindly to moments of what he views as "weakness" in the future king. It's because he knows that the younger man is capable of so much more then he seems to realize; he only pushes him with the knowledge that he can handle it.
Gladio is the kind of guy to keep most things to himself, when it comes to personal feelings. Most of the time, he only voices disapproval when it's something such as Iggy or Prompto "babying" Noct. When it comes to sadness, he's usually keeping a straight face or generally stoic expression. He gets right down to business, solely focused on figuring out the next step, rather than dwelling on what can't be changed. And, while he is capable of feeling excitement, too (see: him + cup noodles or him + challenging battles), Prompto's tendency to get excited over... practically everything seems to allude him. At one point, he even questions why everything is such a "big deal" to him.
While he isn't the type to easily toss out compliments, he does give them. He believes in reserving them for the most well-deserving moments or for people he especially cares about. Usually, they're something of the battle-related variety, though, such as: "Where'd you learn that one, Noct?" or "The Prince of Pain!"
Not that Noct is the only one who earns his brand of "flattery," seeing as he has been shown to verbally applaud Iggy or Prompto in battle.
Gladio does have what can be considered an "ugly" side. While he does his very best to keep his temper under wraps, there are moments in which it erupts at what might be considered the worst of times. One moment is when he suddenly grabs the front of Noct's shirt and yells that he's sick of his "whining." During that moment, Noct was voicing exhaustion; considering the situation, it could be seen as a reasonable thing to complain about. They were dealing with a massive being who had been giving the prince regular migraines and was highly interested in smacking him and his friends around. But, in Gladio's mind, he wasn't dealing with it as an ideal future king should... and there was the fact that complaining was something that Noct did all the freaking time up to that point.
There's a moment in which Gladio winds up affecting the entire group with his temper, however...
It was the moment everyone was on the train, still trying to deal with some major tragedies that just unfolded. Lunafreya was dead, Iggy was blind, Noctis was... silent. Gladio had clearly been holding in a lot for those weeks that followed the events in Altissia. He suddenly demanded that Noct man up, pointing out that he was just holding on to the ring that Lunafreya had given everything to protect for him. Regardless of Iggy's attempt at calming Gladio down, in spite of Prompto's efforts at keeping the group together, Gladio wasn't having any of it.
This moment shows him at his worst -- a man who couldn't do anything to bring Iggy's sight back, couldn't do anything to snap Noct out of his depression... But, really? More than that? It was the moment he felt completely and utterly useless, and felt it was necessary to become the bad guy to remind Noct that he was fighting for more than just himself. The longer Noct sat in silence, the longer he wasn't dealing with his grief and the longer those losses would go, being for nothing.
As for his side that isn't serious business or ugly, Gladio has been described as someone who's "good with people." While it's never made overly obvious, he has been shown speaking with people on numerous occasions; Sania is a friend of his who Prompto and Noctis both seem to find overwhelming to deal with/talk to. Gladio is never shown struggling to have a conversation with her in the slightest. There's also a moment where Noctis mentions that Gladio is likely off talking with girls, meaning Gladio makes some form of habit to spend time with those of a female gender. Not that women are the only ones he spends time with, but a lot of this can probably be thanks to his having grown up with a little sister, Iris.
Speaking of Iris, his behavior towards her reveals just how caring and gentle he is capable of being. He's been shown doing things such as tickling her or only letting Ignis drive whenever she's in the car. He's very, very protective of her -- something which does stem into how he treats Noctis, Ignis, and Prompto. And, in regards to how much he cares in general: the only time he's ever been shown crying, is when Noctis is sitting with them around a campfire that final time. This shows it's in him to cry for those he loves, regardless of his efforts to remain that strong protector.
Lastly, Gladio is all about puns; he and the other three are constantly tossing puns around as though they're going out of style.
SKILLS/ABILITIES: Between his strength and his skill with a greater sword, he's not the kind of guy to have on the opposite side of a battlefield. He's been training for years however; most of his abilities stem from years of training with a greater sword, as well as a shield. Regardless of his ability to use a shield, he actually functions as a human shield. Between being able to take more damage than anyone else in the party, he's the kind of guy who uses his entire body to shield the rest of the party from deadly flames...
He (like Ignis, Prompto, or any other party members including Noctis' chocobo) is able to directly team up with Noctis in dealing damage against an enemy -- basically, their moves flow together for a moment, rendering them temporarily invincible, and allowing them to deal a little more damage than usual (~teamwork~).
Dawnhammer: Basically, this is just him doing what he's already doing, only with more force... He swings the sword around and hits the enemy that Noctis was targeting.
Royal Guard: Noctis calls his name, he runs over, then he protects Noctis with a shield.
Cyclone: Something a little cooler, this time. He creates a shockwave via his shield and damages all nearby enemies.
Impulse: This is a sweeping frontal attack that uses enough force to break off limbs.
CANON PERSONALITY:
"The Amicitia family has long served as the shield
protecting the kings of Lucis and their household,
and Gladiolus is its eldest son. The bond he shares
with Noctis transcends that of a bodyguard and
his liege. With his prodigious strength, he stands
ever ready to keep his companions from harm."
protecting the kings of Lucis and their household,
and Gladiolus is its eldest son. The bond he shares
with Noctis transcends that of a bodyguard and
his liege. With his prodigious strength, he stands
ever ready to keep his companions from harm."
Gladiolus (Gladio) is the kind of guy who puts his duty before all else. His entire world pretty much revolves around his job, though he doesn't honestly see it as a job... because this is his life. This is about more than just him, Ignis (Iggy), Prompto, or even Noctis (Noct). This is about everyone else -- especially towards the end, considering the fate of the entire world is at stake. No, he's well-aware that, within the bigger picture, rests an image that is heavily influenced by the future king's every movement, every decision, everything... So, while he can come across as especially harsh at some of the worst, most emotional moments, his main focus has always been to guide and protect the future king.
But, speaking of said "most emotional moments," that's possibly the biggest key in explaining Gladio's core personality.
As I've said, he firmly believes that everything Noct does (or...doesn't do, as it may be in some cases) is what influences the bigger picture. In his eyes, the future king is more than just a political figure; he's the person who will be carrying the weight of an entire populace -- he's the one who must be strong enough to bear such a heavy burden. As such, Gladio doesn't take kindly to moments of what he views as "weakness" in the future king. It's because he knows that the younger man is capable of so much more then he seems to realize; he only pushes him with the knowledge that he can handle it.
Gladio is the kind of guy to keep most things to himself, when it comes to personal feelings. Most of the time, he only voices disapproval when it's something such as Iggy or Prompto "babying" Noct. When it comes to sadness, he's usually keeping a straight face or generally stoic expression. He gets right down to business, solely focused on figuring out the next step, rather than dwelling on what can't be changed. And, while he is capable of feeling excitement, too (see: him + cup noodles or him + challenging battles), Prompto's tendency to get excited over... practically everything seems to allude him. At one point, he even questions why everything is such a "big deal" to him.
While he isn't the type to easily toss out compliments, he does give them. He believes in reserving them for the most well-deserving moments or for people he especially cares about. Usually, they're something of the battle-related variety, though, such as: "Where'd you learn that one, Noct?" or "The Prince of Pain!"
Not that Noct is the only one who earns his brand of "flattery," seeing as he has been shown to verbally applaud Iggy or Prompto in battle.
Gladio does have what can be considered an "ugly" side. While he does his very best to keep his temper under wraps, there are moments in which it erupts at what might be considered the worst of times. One moment is when he suddenly grabs the front of Noct's shirt and yells that he's sick of his "whining." During that moment, Noct was voicing exhaustion; considering the situation, it could be seen as a reasonable thing to complain about. They were dealing with a massive being who had been giving the prince regular migraines and was highly interested in smacking him and his friends around. But, in Gladio's mind, he wasn't dealing with it as an ideal future king should... and there was the fact that complaining was something that Noct did all the freaking time up to that point.
There's a moment in which Gladio winds up affecting the entire group with his temper, however...
It was the moment everyone was on the train, still trying to deal with some major tragedies that just unfolded. Lunafreya was dead, Iggy was blind, Noctis was... silent. Gladio had clearly been holding in a lot for those weeks that followed the events in Altissia. He suddenly demanded that Noct man up, pointing out that he was just holding on to the ring that Lunafreya had given everything to protect for him. Regardless of Iggy's attempt at calming Gladio down, in spite of Prompto's efforts at keeping the group together, Gladio wasn't having any of it.
This moment shows him at his worst -- a man who couldn't do anything to bring Iggy's sight back, couldn't do anything to snap Noct out of his depression... But, really? More than that? It was the moment he felt completely and utterly useless, and felt it was necessary to become the bad guy to remind Noct that he was fighting for more than just himself. The longer Noct sat in silence, the longer he wasn't dealing with his grief and the longer those losses would go, being for nothing.
As for his side that isn't serious business or ugly, Gladio has been described as someone who's "good with people." While it's never made overly obvious, he has been shown speaking with people on numerous occasions; Sania is a friend of his who Prompto and Noctis both seem to find overwhelming to deal with/talk to. Gladio is never shown struggling to have a conversation with her in the slightest. There's also a moment where Noctis mentions that Gladio is likely off talking with girls, meaning Gladio makes some form of habit to spend time with those of a female gender. Not that women are the only ones he spends time with, but a lot of this can probably be thanks to his having grown up with a little sister, Iris.
Speaking of Iris, his behavior towards her reveals just how caring and gentle he is capable of being. He's been shown doing things such as tickling her or only letting Ignis drive whenever she's in the car. He's very, very protective of her -- something which does stem into how he treats Noctis, Ignis, and Prompto. And, in regards to how much he cares in general: the only time he's ever been shown crying, is when Noctis is sitting with them around a campfire that final time. This shows it's in him to cry for those he loves, regardless of his efforts to remain that strong protector.
Lastly, Gladio is all about puns; he and the other three are constantly tossing puns around as though they're going out of style.
SKILLS/ABILITIES: Between his strength and his skill with a greater sword, he's not the kind of guy to have on the opposite side of a battlefield. He's been training for years however; most of his abilities stem from years of training with a greater sword, as well as a shield. Regardless of his ability to use a shield, he actually functions as a human shield. Between being able to take more damage than anyone else in the party, he's the kind of guy who uses his entire body to shield the rest of the party from deadly flames...
He (like Ignis, Prompto, or any other party members including Noctis' chocobo) is able to directly team up with Noctis in dealing damage against an enemy -- basically, their moves flow together for a moment, rendering them temporarily invincible, and allowing them to deal a little more damage than usual (~teamwork~).
Dawnhammer: Basically, this is just him doing what he's already doing, only with more force... He swings the sword around and hits the enemy that Noctis was targeting.
Royal Guard: Noctis calls his name, he runs over, then he protects Noctis with a shield.
Cyclone: Something a little cooler, this time. He creates a shockwave via his shield and damages all nearby enemies.
Impulse: This is a sweeping frontal attack that uses enough force to break off limbs.
CHARACTER: AU SECTION
AU NAME: Gladio Amitia
AU AGE: 26
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: The only things different are the scars; he still has the scar going down the side of his face, but not the one going across his forehead or even the ones on his torso. Instead of tattoos going over like... 40% of his body, he only has half-sleeves of them (they cover his upper arms, so they're not visible when he's wearing his uniform).
AU NAME: Gladio Amitia
AU AGE: 26
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: The only things different are the scars; he still has the scar going down the side of his face, but not the one going across his forehead or even the ones on his torso. Instead of tattoos going over like... 40% of his body, he only has half-sleeves of them (they cover his upper arms, so they're not visible when he's wearing his uniform).
AU HISTORY: A full write-up of his history is here, but I also have a short and sweet version. First things first, however:
All castmate's have been informed of their character's role in his history.
-Grandfather died before he was born; no aunts and uncles have ever been in the picture.
-Grandmother, father, and mother all worked for the police dept. since before he was born.
-Cue Gladio growing up with the mindset that he was surrounded by superheroes.
-He announced at the age of 5 that he was going to be a cop, too.
-Grandmother died when he was 11.
-When he was 18, he moved out and started the process of joining the police force.
-He ranked up for the first time when he was 20; his mother threw a party.
-That night, his parents took him aside and announced that they were getting a divorce.
-Gladio wound up yelling at his dad, got in his face, and then got punched.
-They swapped more words, tempers flared, and then they stopped talking for two years.
-Though, he did continue to visit his mom...
-When he was 22, his mother entered a coma (due to a car accident) and his father was stabbed outside of a flower shop the next day.
-Regardless of how busy his day is, he always makes time to see his mother; he tells her about his day and whispers that he loves her, all in hopes that she'll wake up.
-When he was 23, he was fighting to protect an old, married couple from a guy holding them at knife point. He saved one of them, but not the other. The other had a moment of blind bravery and rushed forward after Gladio's face was sliced into, which resulted in them being stabbed; they died on-site.
-Gladio doesn't know what happened to the other half of the couple but he did make a point to keep an eye out for them whenever patrolling that area.
-Yes, he did walk over to visit his mother even while he was a patient......
-They tried giving him an award for the bravery he showed when fighting to save the old couple; he outright refused to accept it.
-The man who stabbed the old person and sliced Gladio's face was killed in prison six months later.
-His face healed, the scar stayed; it became a reminder of that night, which was why he married his job.
-He became very Determined to not let anyone else die on his watch, so he began working out even harder at the gym and in training.
-The guy hadn't so much as taken a sick or vacation day since his time in the hospital...
-...but he did adopt a dog; it was given the name Rufus (yes, he's a male dog)!
-Whenever he went for his morning jog, he took Rufus along.
-One of his neighbors (a buddy named Joe) began taking Rufus for a walk once a day, or more if Gladio was working late (which is... often).
-He and Nyx became sorta-friend-things after the fourth time of Gladio showing up when the police station was called.
-He met Prompto via Nyx trying to teach him a lesson and calling Gladio, asking him to help a bro out.
-Gladio threatened to post Prompto's picture all over the police station as a means of scaring him into behaving.
-He actually came to see a lot of good in him early on, so he began pushing him to do better thanks to that.
Currently...
-He's keeping an eye on Prompto these days, even if he's not announcing it.
-He stops by to chat with Nyx during downtime.
-He recently bought some land just outside Recollé Woods and is in the process of building a cabin there.
AU PERSONALITY: Just like with canon, he's a guy with a strong need to protect.
Having grown up with two parents in a relatively stable family environment, expressing emotions isn't super foreign or anything. He's learned from his mother and father (and even grandmother, when she was alive) that it's okay to be angry, to be sad, to be anything other than strong in the face of others. They did their best to ingrain that into his head, but... he still struggles. He doesn't believe in showing weakness, and he still sees anger and sadness as signs of weakness in the face of those he isn't especially close to (read: anyone who isn't his family). So, while his family did their best, he won't be giving any sob stories to his bro over a cold beer. Anger... is a different matter, of course, since he can only keep that buried for so long.
Fortunately, he doesn't have anything to have him especially angry in this universe, but life does happen. There are those occasional asshole criminals who find a way to push his buttons. There are even just the general Bad Days that happen. Whatever the case, he does have outlets that don't involve grabbing a friend by the front of their shirt. He goes to the gym, gets a little rougher than necessary while arresting a particularly bad criminal, takes a breather out in an alleyway...
Or he'll just take his dog for a nice, long run!
While Gladio didn't grow up with a little sister to take care of, he did grow up with a loving mother to influence his respectful nature towards women. While he is anything but perfect, he has it in him to be naturally skilled with talking to other people. Of course, it does help that he enjoys talking to people -- a major part of his wanting to protect people is due to him having a natural love for them, in general.
One major difference between this AU and canon will be the fact that he hasn't been raised up as someone subservient to royalty. There being no royalty in his life means that he will see himself on more of an "equal ground" with the rest of the world. Hell, in all honesty, there's just a little more pride coursing through him, thanks to his being a police officer -- someone that most everyday folks are required to listen to. Him being an authority figure still won't be enough to have him getting an over-sized head, at least; he's been humbled by his losses in life, meaning he does understand that he's just another human being. He's not above losing anyone else he cares about...
But, on that note, Gladio is actually a little scared of letting himself get especially close to anyone else. With his grandmother and father completely out of the picture, and his mother being in the coma, his time is spent visiting graves and hospital bedsides -- he doesn't actually make much time for socializing. Even though he doesn't realize it on a conscious level, he's making it next-to-impossible to wind up with more people to genuinely love as family.
All castmate's have been informed of their character's role in his history.
-Grandfather died before he was born; no aunts and uncles have ever been in the picture.
-Grandmother, father, and mother all worked for the police dept. since before he was born.
-Cue Gladio growing up with the mindset that he was surrounded by superheroes.
-He announced at the age of 5 that he was going to be a cop, too.
-Grandmother died when he was 11.
-When he was 18, he moved out and started the process of joining the police force.
-He ranked up for the first time when he was 20; his mother threw a party.
-That night, his parents took him aside and announced that they were getting a divorce.
-Gladio wound up yelling at his dad, got in his face, and then got punched.
-They swapped more words, tempers flared, and then they stopped talking for two years.
-Though, he did continue to visit his mom...
-When he was 22, his mother entered a coma (due to a car accident) and his father was stabbed outside of a flower shop the next day.
-Regardless of how busy his day is, he always makes time to see his mother; he tells her about his day and whispers that he loves her, all in hopes that she'll wake up.
-When he was 23, he was fighting to protect an old, married couple from a guy holding them at knife point. He saved one of them, but not the other. The other had a moment of blind bravery and rushed forward after Gladio's face was sliced into, which resulted in them being stabbed; they died on-site.
-Gladio doesn't know what happened to the other half of the couple but he did make a point to keep an eye out for them whenever patrolling that area.
-Yes, he did walk over to visit his mother even while he was a patient......
-They tried giving him an award for the bravery he showed when fighting to save the old couple; he outright refused to accept it.
-The man who stabbed the old person and sliced Gladio's face was killed in prison six months later.
-His face healed, the scar stayed; it became a reminder of that night, which was why he married his job.
-He became very Determined to not let anyone else die on his watch, so he began working out even harder at the gym and in training.
-The guy hadn't so much as taken a sick or vacation day since his time in the hospital...
-...but he did adopt a dog; it was given the name Rufus (yes, he's a male dog)!
-Whenever he went for his morning jog, he took Rufus along.
-One of his neighbors (a buddy named Joe) began taking Rufus for a walk once a day, or more if Gladio was working late (which is... often).
-He and Nyx became sorta-friend-things after the fourth time of Gladio showing up when the police station was called.
-He met Prompto via Nyx trying to teach him a lesson and calling Gladio, asking him to help a bro out.
-Gladio threatened to post Prompto's picture all over the police station as a means of scaring him into behaving.
-He actually came to see a lot of good in him early on, so he began pushing him to do better thanks to that.
Currently...
-He's keeping an eye on Prompto these days, even if he's not announcing it.
-He stops by to chat with Nyx during downtime.
-He recently bought some land just outside Recollé Woods and is in the process of building a cabin there.
AU PERSONALITY: Just like with canon, he's a guy with a strong need to protect.
Having grown up with two parents in a relatively stable family environment, expressing emotions isn't super foreign or anything. He's learned from his mother and father (and even grandmother, when she was alive) that it's okay to be angry, to be sad, to be anything other than strong in the face of others. They did their best to ingrain that into his head, but... he still struggles. He doesn't believe in showing weakness, and he still sees anger and sadness as signs of weakness in the face of those he isn't especially close to (read: anyone who isn't his family). So, while his family did their best, he won't be giving any sob stories to his bro over a cold beer. Anger... is a different matter, of course, since he can only keep that buried for so long.
Fortunately, he doesn't have anything to have him especially angry in this universe, but life does happen. There are those occasional asshole criminals who find a way to push his buttons. There are even just the general Bad Days that happen. Whatever the case, he does have outlets that don't involve grabbing a friend by the front of their shirt. He goes to the gym, gets a little rougher than necessary while arresting a particularly bad criminal, takes a breather out in an alleyway...
Or he'll just take his dog for a nice, long run!
While Gladio didn't grow up with a little sister to take care of, he did grow up with a loving mother to influence his respectful nature towards women. While he is anything but perfect, he has it in him to be naturally skilled with talking to other people. Of course, it does help that he enjoys talking to people -- a major part of his wanting to protect people is due to him having a natural love for them, in general.
One major difference between this AU and canon will be the fact that he hasn't been raised up as someone subservient to royalty. There being no royalty in his life means that he will see himself on more of an "equal ground" with the rest of the world. Hell, in all honesty, there's just a little more pride coursing through him, thanks to his being a police officer -- someone that most everyday folks are required to listen to. Him being an authority figure still won't be enough to have him getting an over-sized head, at least; he's been humbled by his losses in life, meaning he does understand that he's just another human being. He's not above losing anyone else he cares about...
But, on that note, Gladio is actually a little scared of letting himself get especially close to anyone else. With his grandmother and father completely out of the picture, and his mother being in the coma, his time is spent visiting graves and hospital bedsides -- he doesn't actually make much time for socializing. Even though he doesn't realize it on a conscious level, he's making it next-to-impossible to wind up with more people to genuinely love as family.
SAMPLE "That's a good boy..."
A small smile rested on his lips as he lowered himself to one knee, a hand lifting to scratch the chocolate-brown dog behind one ear. Gladio hadn't taken long to figure out that it was Rufus' favorite place to be scratched. From the first time, the dog gave that sort of... lazy-looking grin, head shifting to press more firmly against his human's hand. A human who was releasing a low chuckle, giving his buddy a few more scratches before standing and stretching both hands above his head.
It was habitual by that point; they wake up, go for a job, go grab a quick bite, and then-- "Oh, hey! Fancy seeing you, again. Hehe... And, you, too!"
A pair of female joggers, Ana and Clara (best friends since their childhood days), had decided to take the time to greet the male pair; Gladio offered them each a smile, motioning for Rufus to lie down so that he didn't wind up jumping on them. Ana, the first one who'd spoken, was already dropping to her knees to give Rufus more attention that he seemed he could handle. With each scratch he received, the dog was unleashing a pleased whine-like sound, happily rolling on to his back to make belly scratches a possibility.
"Oh. My. Gosh. You prettier every time I see you! I could just eat you right up! Who's a good boy? That's riiiight~ It's you!"
Cue Clara joining her friend in showering the dog with affection. Gladio's smile grew a little with obvious amusement, a laugh slipping out before he waved a hand and said, "Never knew I'd wind up jealous of my own dog..."
Between the small smirk and obvious sound of teasing within his voice, it was clear he wasn't actually jealous. Fortunately, the ladies caught on, though it wasn't until they hurriedly glanced up and saw his face, that it was clear they had. They looked from Gladio, right to one another, and then entered a quiet and short-lived war that involved giggles and gently pushing at each other's shoulders.
They swapped a few updates on their lives; Ana was starting her second semester of law school and Clara was switching her career path to beauty school. They asked Gladio what he was doing lately, which he just answered vaguely: "Same old, same old... Catching bad guys and keeping rowdy kids in line."
Apparently that was funny, or something, since Clara entered a fit of giggles. Ana, on the other hand, gave a smile that implied she found it cool. Another fortunate matter (while he certainly was enjoying their company), however, was that they had to be on their way just as much as he and Rufus did. So it was after that, they were all waving their goodbyes (or, in Rufus' case, getting goodbye scratches) and parting ways. Something that had Rufus giving a small whine, ears perked in the direction of the women.
"Yeah, yeah... Come on, boy," he muttered, reaching down to pat Rufus on the head, "We've got another lovely lady to visit..."
A small smile rested on his lips as he lowered himself to one knee, a hand lifting to scratch the chocolate-brown dog behind one ear. Gladio hadn't taken long to figure out that it was Rufus' favorite place to be scratched. From the first time, the dog gave that sort of... lazy-looking grin, head shifting to press more firmly against his human's hand. A human who was releasing a low chuckle, giving his buddy a few more scratches before standing and stretching both hands above his head.
It was habitual by that point; they wake up, go for a job, go grab a quick bite, and then-- "Oh, hey! Fancy seeing you, again. Hehe... And, you, too!"
A pair of female joggers, Ana and Clara (best friends since their childhood days), had decided to take the time to greet the male pair; Gladio offered them each a smile, motioning for Rufus to lie down so that he didn't wind up jumping on them. Ana, the first one who'd spoken, was already dropping to her knees to give Rufus more attention that he seemed he could handle. With each scratch he received, the dog was unleashing a pleased whine-like sound, happily rolling on to his back to make belly scratches a possibility.
"Oh. My. Gosh. You prettier every time I see you! I could just eat you right up! Who's a good boy? That's riiiight~ It's you!"
Cue Clara joining her friend in showering the dog with affection. Gladio's smile grew a little with obvious amusement, a laugh slipping out before he waved a hand and said, "Never knew I'd wind up jealous of my own dog..."
Between the small smirk and obvious sound of teasing within his voice, it was clear he wasn't actually jealous. Fortunately, the ladies caught on, though it wasn't until they hurriedly glanced up and saw his face, that it was clear they had. They looked from Gladio, right to one another, and then entered a quiet and short-lived war that involved giggles and gently pushing at each other's shoulders.
They swapped a few updates on their lives; Ana was starting her second semester of law school and Clara was switching her career path to beauty school. They asked Gladio what he was doing lately, which he just answered vaguely: "Same old, same old... Catching bad guys and keeping rowdy kids in line."
Apparently that was funny, or something, since Clara entered a fit of giggles. Ana, on the other hand, gave a smile that implied she found it cool. Another fortunate matter (while he certainly was enjoying their company), however, was that they had to be on their way just as much as he and Rufus did. So it was after that, they were all waving their goodbyes (or, in Rufus' case, getting goodbye scratches) and parting ways. Something that had Rufus giving a small whine, ears perked in the direction of the women.
"Yeah, yeah... Come on, boy," he muttered, reaching down to pat Rufus on the head, "We've got another lovely lady to visit..."