melodiesofeternity | Sister Searching

Entry tags:

Sister Searching

Who: Gladiolus Amicitia and literally anyone
When: July 14 and July 16-31
Where: Yun'Ashia then literally everywhere
What: The Actual Worst - Where's my sister?
Warnings/Notes: Distraught older brother; CW/TW: some threads may contain references to self-hatred and self-harm (self-harm induced by seeking out injury at the hands of others), tumultuous emotions, fits of rage, depressive episodes, if you see something in a thread that needs to be added here I will do my best to amend this or add it in the tags if that's possible.

I. July 14th - Yun'Ashia

Gladio figured Iris slept in when she missed breakfast, thought maybe she wasn't feeling well when she missed training, and started worrying when he couldn't reach her at all. Every text went unanswered. Every call straight to voicemail. Her room was devoid of any sign of her and even her Moogle was missing. Frantic, Gladio began asking everyone in the house - and then anyone he saw when he went into town - "Have any of you seen Iris today? Or heard from her?"

II. July 16th thru 23rd - Worldwide

His boss had been miraculously understanding when Gladio begged for the next week off. He'd have to work insanely hard when he got back, but he wasn't about to write Iris off as gone until he'd scoured the whole of this world. As it was, he spent the entirety of the 15th searching as much of Yun'Ashia and the surrounding land as he could. He'd returned home sometime pre-dawn on the 16th and grabbed maybe an hour or two of sleep before making an iMog video that he'd post publicly. Once that video was made, he packed a few essentials and prepared to set off on a hunt of his own. He knew his father was out looking too, but the more eyes the better, right? Everyone he met would be greeted with a photo of Iris on his iMog as he asked them, "Have you seen my sister?"

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Gladio's eyes are definitely more wild than they were when he first met ... Dylas? Yea ... this guy's name is Dylas. But he recognizes the half-snake half-man who just shoved a menu in his hand, almost dislodging the iMog he's been holding.

"I'm not here to eat, Dylas." He thrusts the menu back at Dylas and pulls up Iris' picture.

"I'm trying to find my sister, Iris. So unless you've seen her or have any information to share I'm just gonna move on."

Great. Someone is missing, and someone is here to find her. For a split second, Dylas' gut knots up out of guilt, but then he remembers that he hasn't, er, invited any women back to his place for dinner lately. It's a deer in the headlights moment for sure, but he relaxes his expression.

"I haven't seen her."

And then he shoves the menu right back at him, this time only slightly more gently.

"You look like shit. Sit down and eat something while I get my boss, alright? If...Iris has been here, she'd know."

"Definitely just as delightful as I remember." It's muttered under his breath, but Gladio really doesn't care if Dylas hears it. Because there's a menu in his hands again and clearly this guy doesn't understand that he doesn't have time to sit and eat.

He needs to find his sister.

"There's no time. Just show your boss Iris' picture and find out if she's seen her." Well, that was rude. In any other situation he'd apologize and add a please but this is no ordinary situation so Dylas can just deal with Gladio's anger.

He ignores the way his stomach pangs, reminding him that he forced both himself and Noct skip breakfast this morning ... and once they separated to search this area better Gladio hadn't taken time to eat anything. As long as it doesn't growl, he'll be fine and he won't be forced to sit here and eat food while Iris is Gods-know-where.

He doesn't like Gladio's anger much. That shouldn't come as a surprise. Dealing with pissy customers is a forte of his, but Gladio had maybe been kind-of-sort-of nice to him, so he's trying to extend a helping hand. It's frustrating, putting effort into something he knows he's bad at and having his efforts rebuked.

"It'll take me a moment." He takes the photo if it's being offered to him, and...he's still holding out the menu. "She hasn't clocked in yet, but I'll run--" Hah. Run. That requires legs. "--over to her place and ask her if it's that important to you."

He leaves the offer open. Someone who works at a diner next to an inn would certainly know all the comings and goings in town, right? Dylas wants to appear sympathetic, but Gladio's bad mood has spread to him, and instead he glowers like he always does.

"You can ask the innkeeper while I'm gone, right?"

Gladio hands over his iMog since Dylas will need it to show Iris' photo to his manager, deciding he can describe Iris well enough to the innkeeper to not need her picture. He's still obviously frantic, which completely hampers his ability to act and sound genuinely grateful, but he tries. "My little sister means the world t'me. Jus' don't lose my iMog."

A ... moderate success at sounding less like an ass? He can't really say as he jogs towards the inn, eyes rapidly scanning the area for any sign of someone who looks like the innkeeper.

It doesn't take long for Gladio to return to the restaurant, shoulders slightly slumped as the pitying 'sorry, haven't seen her' replays in his head. When Dylas comes back, he'll find Gladio leaning dejectedly against a wall inside. To Gladio's irritation his stomach gives a loud growl, practically begging for actual food, and all he can do is hope the Naga didn't hear it (who is he kidding, half the restaurant probably heard it).

Who has time to eat when their kid sister is missing?

Dylas looks at the picture displayed on the iMog. It feels a bit like a punch to the gut, not that his facial expression changes any. Gladio has already pissed him off a little, but Dylas is going to use every ounce of what little of his personality isn't an asshole to help out here.

"Got it. I'll make this quick."

Once he's out of sight of the restaurant, Dylas hustles, moving at his full speed. He can't help but be a little concerned. His own sister comes to mind—or maybe she never was his sister. Margaret wouldn't want to be seen with him now, so that's great.

He slithers back into the restaurant with an elderly grandma of a Lalafell riding his tail like he's her mount. She gets off, ready to head into the back and start working, but she and Dylas exchange a few words before he's handing the iMog back to Gladiolus.

The look on his face says it all.

"We haven't seen anyone who looks like her. She looks...healthy." He's trying to say something nice, but saying 'cute' would be weird in a situation like this, right? Right. "You, uh...where else have you searched?" He heard that stomach growl, but he's not so sure he can keep the guy here against his will long enough to eat.

Gladio can't keep the hope out of his eyes when Dylas approaches, but that hope is quickly extinguished with the Naga's words. He appreciates the speed though, and takes his iMog back with words of gratitude.

"Thanks... for checkin' and bein' so quick." There's a short, dry chuckle after Dylas comments on Iris looking healthy.

"Yea, she is." Is? Was? Who even knows. Gladio's about to tell Dylas where else he's looked when his damn stomach growls again, louder than before. He grumbles to himself as he meets Dylas' eyes and resigns himself to actually having to eat something.

"Do ... is there somethin' I can get that I can eat on th' go? Or is it all pretty much sit-down food here?"

"I already asked the old lady to make you some sandwiches to go. I dunno what you like, so don't complain if you don't like them."

He's not sure where the chuckle came from. Is he being laughed at? Did he say something unusual? It's enough to get the tip of his tail twitching, but he's not sure. Maybe Gladio is just laughing because...it's sad, this sister situation.

"I can get you a drink and a snack while you wait. What do you want?"

It's not 'can I take your order.' No, Dylas asks Gladio what he wants almost threateningly, eyes narrowing. It's unintentional, but...

He's actually kind of ... touched that Dylas actually took the initiative to ask someone to make him some grab n' go food. Granted, he's still in a hurry so it probably doesn't show.

"I eat almost anythin' so that's fine. Thanks."

Why is he getting glared at now? He'd actually said thank you. Does that not mean the same thing to Naga as it means to humans?

"Uh, whatever's fastest is fine..." Gladio tilts his head, trying to figure out where the hostility came from.

"Or I can just wait for the sandwiches. It'll be the same amount of time anyway."

Whatever's fastest? He's sure Gladiolus is just trying to make life easier on him, which is suspicious because when does anyone ever make life easier for their waiter? He sort of regrets Gladio coming in the longer he stands there, because he looks ridiculous. He has to. From the waist down, nothing but snake tail. From the waist up, he's wearing a white collared shirt and a black vest over it, like a proper waiter would.

It's weird.

"How do you take your coffee?" Water is still the easiest thing he could bring this man, but Dylas has an inkling that Gladio needs more than water right now, and there's always a pot floating about. "I can do at least that much for you."

All Gladio sees is a sort-of-friend still willing to get him something to drink even though he'd been snappy and generally nasty when he'd first walked in. Sure, he's not used to interacting with a Naga that isn't trying to kill him, but this half-human half-snake ball of snark and scowls is just Dylas.

There's nothing weird about Dylas except how he jumped from being sort of considerate to suddenly glaring at Gladio.

And Gladio would really love to know what that's about. But it would be rude to answer Dylas' question - and courtesy - with a question of his own.

"Black is easiest, so you can just do that." It's not how Gladio prefers his coffee, the Shield usually adding a little sugar at the very least, but he asked Dylas to do whatever's fastest.

"Seriously, thanks."

They're not friends. He'd made that clear when they met. He doesn't want any friends, it just means more people prying into his business. If Gladiolus had a brother, and his brother stopped here...he would've been another tourist, someone Dylas might've preyed on.

He's not friendly, he tells himself as he fetches coffee. He's just...helping out because it'd be more suspicious if he didn't. Yeah. That's it.

"Here you go."

Instead of setting down just a mug, he sets down the mug and the coffeepot so he can have as much as he likes. It's a small diner mostly run by old lalafell. Why they hired him when he could eat them all like they were a 20-piece McNuggets is beyond him, but that's where he's at.

"They're working fast, but Janet thinks they need to make you a lot. Because you're...thick."

Gladio actually outright laughs when Dylas calls him thick. He knows it's not meant in a sexual way but for some reason the descriptor strikes him as hilarious.

"Can't say I've ever heard that one before, at least not in that context." He's still chuckling as he reaches for the pot and mug, pouring himself a nice steaming cup of caffeine.

Noticing that Dylas only brought one mug, Gladio frowns a bit. "Grab a mug for yourself, if you want. Waiting tables is a pretty exhausting job sometimes, especially when y'get people like me tumblin' through."

He pauses and decides to press his luck just a bit more. "Is there any way for some of the sandwiches to have no veggies? I ... there's someone keeping an eye on me and I should make sure he eats. And he hates veggies."

Dylas' eyebrow lifts. Had he said something funny? He's not sure where he went wrong, no, he thinks thick is a great word to describe both Gladiolus' body and his head.

"What context? What are you talking about?"

He sounds both annoyed and urgent; being left out of the loop is a little frustrating, so knowing what he's missing out on would be great.

"You want me to relax, but then you also want me to make a special request for you." Dylas shakes his head. It actually doesn't bother him all that much, but Gladio's concerns are a little amusing. It's a quick trip over to the pass to tell the chefs what's up and then he's back.

"They've got it covered. And they said your friend is too picky."

They also had something waiting for Dylas when he went to check on them. When he returns, he's carrying a glass of something orange. It's not orange juice or orange soda...the color is different. He takes a drink from it while he waits for Gladio's answers.

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Sister Searching

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