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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"Stop, kupo!" Sohma fluttered between Gladio and the door, holding his paws out firmly.

"Those are filthy!" the miniature-Ignis of fluff chastised, pointing at Gladio's clothes. "A rinse will not do! Take those off so I can wash them properly, and then you may leave."

He tugged on Gladio's vest stubbornly.

Gladio stood stunned at the Moogle's insistence. He peeled off his vest and handed it over but crossed his arms and cocked one eyebrow at the determined creature.

"Got anythin' for me to wear while you wash everythin'? Or am I just gonna lounge around here naked?"

He might not be adverse to walking around shirtless, or even in just his underwear, but he would absolutely not just sit around Reno's home completely nude while his clothes were cleaned.

Sohma peered over the top of his glasses. "The male human body is not unknown to me. You do know who lives here, don't you?"

Well, if Gladio wasn't aware of Reno's habitual lack of clothing, he was now.

"Besides, there isn't anyone here to see you. They took young Hope to Camp Curtisy. But you can wear your towel, if you prefer." The moogle took Gladio's vest but shooed him with the other paw expectantly. "Now go -- off, off, off!"

Gladio was absolutely unprepared for that statement. Apparently someone - and he could guess who - liked to wander the house naked ... aaaannd that's a mental image that he won't be able to erase.

"Good t'know there won't be anyone comin' around, I guess." Well, so long as Noct didn't come in. Fuck. Maybe he should message him ... make the offer.

Though Gladio was glad to hear that Hope went to the retreat. Maybe the kid could have some fun and not worry too much about him, though from the messages and calls he'd been missing and forgetting to respond to he doubted it.

With a shrug Gladio stripped out of his remaining clothes and looked for a place he might be able to sit while he waited. No sense walking or lounging around in a damp towel that would only get cooler as time progressed when the only other occupant of the house apparently wasn't bothered by nudity.

And if Noct decided to use Reno's house, Gladio would simply cover up.

"So is there somewhere safe t'sit or anythin'?" He wanted to check on the map and see where he's be heading to next.

Sohma scooped up each article of clothing as it was discarded, then fluttered -- a little crookedly -- toward the utility closet. Gladio didn't wear much clothing, but the leather was a little heavier than the moogle anticipated.

"It's all the same," the little voice answered flatly. Either way there was going to be a bare ass somewhere and he was going to have to clean up after it. It would be easier to wipe off hard surfaces, but if he discouraged Gladio from the upholstery then he wouldn't be a good host.

"Oh -- though I suppose I should warn you. I wouldn't use the guest room if I were you."

Gladio's ears perked up at the mention of a guest room. He had no plans to sleep, but Reno had said to use his place freely ...

He couldn't resist. Despite the warning, his feet carried him around the house and to each door. As Gladio wandered around, trying to find the mysterious room, his question floated through the empty corridors. "Why not? Reno told me to help myself..."

His voice trailed off as he finally poked his head into what must have been the guest bedroom. "Uh..."

As far as Sohma was concerned, one warning was enough. If someone chose to do something dumb anyway, then that was their problem. He had more than enough on his plate trying to figure out how to best clean leather with the supplies he had in the house (though it wasn't his first rodeo, and at least Gladio's weren't something weird like ass-less chaps).

A scratching, shuffling sound could be heard as Gladio approached the guest bedroom, although nothing could initially be seen when he first opened the door and the sound stopped.

After opening the door Gladio looked around the room, unsure of what to expect.

"Is someone in here...?" He spoke the words mostly to himself.

At first, there was silence. A tense silence, like something was watching him.

As soon as Gladio set foot into the room, a loud and angry hiss could be heard from beneath the guest bed.

He felt eyes on him, and it made his skin crawl. Gladio's muscles tensed, ready to defend against whatever or whomever waited.

But that hissing ... what was that? Was it a cat of some kind? He walked to the bed and leaned down to peer beneath it as one arm lifted the foot of the frame off the floor.

"... What the -?"

Oh dear.

No, unfortunately it wasn't a cat. It was a cactuar. And Gladio got a loud, high-pitched screech in the face for daring to intrude on its privacy.

"SKREEEEEE!"

Edited 2018-09-30 21:12 (UTC)

"Shit!" Gladio shouted and jumped back.

After several unfortunate run-ins with cactuars back home, Gladio's love of them faded - slowly and surely with every needle he pulled out of his skin.

"Calm down! Not attacking!!" At least no one's here to see him trying to placate a crazy cactuar that apparently Reno kept as a pet. Oh, Reno was going to get a nasty voicemail from Gladio later.

Sohma did warn him.

Another angry hiss and the cactuar was scrambling out after Gladiolus. On the bright side, most of its needles were contained. In a strange twist, the threatening monster was dressed in what would otherwise be a very cute, disarming onesie with a chocochick print. It skittered, screeched, and hissed as it chased Gladio toward the door.

Shitshitshitshitshit.

He didn't have time to dwell on the cute onsie. He needed to get away from the needle-filled creature as quickly as possible. Gladio backed up to the door and fumbled blindly for the doorknob as he, for some reason, continued trying to calm down the wild cactuar.

"Reno said I could stay here! Reno?! Your ... dad?!" Of all the times to struggle with a fucking doorknob.

"C'mon, no needles when I'm naked. Please?"

No one can ever know of this. Ever.

"SKYAAAAAA!" Daring to equate Reno to its father apparently enraged it more. It began charging into Gladio's shins and swatting at him angrily. It... was kind of awkward, actually, as far as fighting a cactuar went. The cactuar itself seemed to understand its impotence while it was trapped in its onesie, flailing harder against Gladio's legs as if to compensate.

It didn't hurt the same way being pierced by a thousand needles would... It was sort of like getting hit repeatedly with a rolling pin. Once was tolerable, but after that, not so much.

What the hell was wrong with this thing? It had to understand something, right? Maybe crouching down to its level would help...

As he poppped into a squat, one hand dangling protectively over his more sensitive area, Gladio used the other hand to hold the raging cactuar at bay while he tried to calm it down enough to at least let him leave the room without further incident.

"Okay okay Reno's just your friend! Not your dad, not by a long shot." Yea, he definitely noticed that the little guy got angrier after he called Reno it's dad.

"Sorry I even suggested that. But I need you to stop attacking me so I can leave you alone. I don't wanna hurt you - since Reno takes care of you I'm pretty sure you're important to him."

The hand keeping the cactuar from continually ramming into him stayed put, not squeezing or pushing too hard, and Gladio kept his gaze as peaceful as possible. "I promise I'll leave you be if you stop trying to hit me. Okay? Truce?"

He's never been so grateful to be alone as he is right now. If anyone ever found out that Gladiolus Amicitia, Sworn Shield to the Prince-turned-King, begged a onsie-wearing cactuar to stop attacking him, he would never live it down.

The cactuar hissed again that Reno should be called a friend... but it did take pause when Gladio suggested that Reno should care. Like it couldn't quite process the concept.

Finally, it did start to back off -- with a soft growl added as if to say that it was not retreating, it was simply done with Gladio -- and it went back beneath the bed.

Thank the Six.

As soon as the little monster started backing away, Gladio felt his heart rate return to normal. And once the critter was under the bed again, he absolutely beat a hasty escape from the room.

Once safely outside, Gladio leaned against the now-closed door and let his head fall back against it. He was going to kill Reno.

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Sister Searching

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omg Reno's flat ass - and Gladio totally rolled low enough to snoop

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Sorry it's short - there will be more when Gladio sees whatever is in the room

likewise short

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